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ELSIE  DINSMORE 
ELSIE'S  HOLIDAYS   AT  ROSE- 
LANDS 

ELSIE'S  GIRLHOOD 
ELSIE'S  WOMANHOOD 
ELSIE'S  MOTHERHOOD 
ELSIE'S  CHILDREN 
ELSIE'S  WIDOWHOOD 
GRANDMOTHER  ELSIE 
ELSIE'S  NEW  RELATIONS 
ELSIE  AT  NANTUCKET 

/.THE  TWO  ELSIES 

I  /ELSIE'S  .  ITH  AND  KIN 
ELSIE'S      JENDS  AT  WOOD- 
BURN 

^'CHRISTMAS  WITH   GRANDMA 

ELSIE 

ELSIE  AND   THE   RAYMONDS 
ELSIE   YACHTING   WITH  THE 
RAYMONDS 

L  ELSIE'S  VACATION 
,  ELSIE  AT  VIAMEDE 

// ELSIE  AT  ION 

I  'ELSIE  AT  THE  WORLD'S  FAIR 
ELSIE'S  JOURNEY  ON  INLAND 

WATERS 
ELSIE  AT  HOME 
ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON 

JJKLSIE  IN  THE  SOUTH 

\  ELSIE'S  YOUNG  FOLKS 
ELSIE'S  WINTER  TRIP 
ELSIE  AND  HER  LOVED  ONES 

ELSJE  ANOTHER  NAMESAKES 
J* 


ELSIE    ON    THE 
HUDSON 

AND  ELSEWHERE 


BY 

MARTHA  FINLEY 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

•Tl/LlSHERS    '  H 


ODTTRIOHT,  1896, 
DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY. 


Mi  right*  referred. 


NOTE. 

For  information  in  regard  to  the  events  of  our  two 
wars  with  England,  the  author  is  largely  indebted  to 
Lossing's  historical  works — The  Field  Books  of  the 
Revolution  and  of  the  War  of  1812. 

M.  F. 


559205 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

CBAQ  COTTAGE  was  almost  overflowingly 
full  the  first  night  after  the  arrival  of  its 
young  mistress  and  her  friends,  but  with  a  little 
contrivance  all  were  comfortably  accommo- 
dated. Most  of  them,  weary  with  their  journey, 
slept  rather  late  in  the  morning,  but  Captain 
Raymond  and  his  eldest  daughter  were  as  usual 
out  of  doors — out  in  the  grounds — early  enough 
to  enjoy  the  beautiful  sight  of  the  rising  of 
the  sun  over  the  eastern  mountains.  They 
met  upon  the  front  porch  just  in  time  to 
walk  down  together  to  Evelyn's  favorite  sum- 
mer house  on  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  before  the 
king  of  day  showed  his  bright  face  peeping 
above  those  eastern  heights. 

"  Oh,  what  a  lovely  sight! "  exclaimed  Lu- 
cilla.  "  I  am  so  glad,  papa,  that  we  are  out  in 
time  to  see  it." 


2  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  it  is  worth  the  giving  up  of 
an  extra  hour  of  sleep.  Especially  as  we  can 
take  that  during  the  day  if  we  feel  the  need  of 
it.  I  would  never  have  you  do  without  needed 
sleep,  daughter.  There  is  nothing  gained  by  it 
in  the  end." 

"No,  papa,  but  I  think  I  do  not  need  so 
much  as  do  some  others, — Gracie,  for  instance, 
— and  I  do  so  enjoy  these  early  walks  and  talks 
with  you — the  dearest  father  that  ever  any  girl 
had,  I  am  sure,"  she  added,  giving  him  a  look 
of  ardent  affection. 

"  Ah,  but  you  must  remember  there  are  some 
fathers  you  haven't  tried,"  he  returned  with  a 
slight  laugh  of  amusement,  but  accompanied  by 
a  fond  pressure  of  the  pretty  white  hand  she 
had  slipped  into  his. 

"  Yet  I  am  just  as  sure  as  if  I  had  tried  them 
all,  father,"  she  laughed.  "  There  may  perhaps 
be  some  few  nearly  as  good,  but  I  know  they 
can't  be  any  better.  Oh,  see!  yonder  is  a 
yacht  coming  up  the  river.  I  wish  it  was 
ours." 

"Possibly  it  may  be.  Look  again,"  her 
father  said. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.          .       B 

"  Oh,  is  it,  papa?  "  she  asked  eagerly.  "  Did 
you  order  it  brought  here?  " 

"I  did;  and  thought  it  might  arrive  some 
time  to-day." 

"  And  it  is — it  is  the  Dolphin!  I'm  so  glad! 
How  nice  in  you,  papa,  to  have  it  come  to  us  so 
soon;  for  now  we  can  supplement  Eva's  sleep- 
ing accommodations  and  take  delightful  little 
trips  up  and  down  the  river." 

"  Yes;  that  was  my  idea  in  having  the  vessel 
brought  here.  There  axe  a  number  of  histor- 
ical scenes  along  the  Hudson's  banks  which  I 
have  no  doubt  you  and  the  others  would  like  to 
visit." 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed,  papa!  and  the  very  pleas- 
antest  way  to  do  it  will  be  in  our  own  yacht — 
with  Captain  Eaymond  to  take  charge  of  us  and 
it,"  she  added  with  a  bright  smile  up  into  his 
face.  "  Oh,  the  yacht  seems  to  be  heading  for 
the  little  landing  down  at  the  foot  of  the  hill! 
Can't  we  run  down  and  get  aboard  of  her  just 
to  take  a  peep,  here  and  there,  and  see  that  all  is 
right  for  us  to  move  into  the  staterooms  when- 
ever we  will?" 

"  Yes,  come  along,  daughter.    I  think  we  can 


4  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

go  and  come  back  again  before  the  summons  to 
breakfast,"  he  replied,  leading  the  way  as  he 
spoke.  They  reached  the  landing  just  as  the 
Dolphin  had  anchored  and  thrown  out  a  plank 
to  the  shore. 

"  Oh,  how  bright  and  fresh  she  looks! "  ex- 
claimed Lulu. 

"  Yes — outside,"  laughed  her  father.  "  We 
will  go  aboard  and  see  whether  the  same  can  be 
said  of  the  inside,"  he  added,  leading  her  care- 
fully onward  till  they  reached  the  deck. 

"  Lovely! "  she  exclaimed  as  they  stepped 
upon  it;  "everything  is  as  spick-and-span  as 
possible." 

"  I  am  glad  indeed  that  it  pleases  you,  Miss 
Raymond,"  said  the  man  in  charge,  coming 
hastily  forward  to  greet  and  welcome  them. 
"  I  hope  you  too  are  satisfied,  sir?  " 

"  Perfectly,  so  far  as  I  have  yet  examined," 
returned  Captain  Raymond  in  a  cheery  tone. 
"You  had  good  weather  for  your  trip  up  the 
coast,  Mr.  Bailey?" 

"Yes,  sir,  yes;  indeed,  couldn't  have  asked 
finer.  Hope  you  all  arrived  safely  and  well?  " 

"  Yes,  thank  you,  and  I  expect  to  make  pretty 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  S 

constant  and  good  use  of  the  yacht.  There 
could  hardly  be  a  better  place  for  it  than  this 
river." 

"  No,  sir;  I  think  not." 

With  Lueilla  by  his  side,  the  captain  went 
here  and  there,  satisfying  himself  that  every- 
thing was  in  perfect  order,  exchanging  kindly 
greetings  with  the  sailors,  and  bestowing  words 
of  praise  upon  their  care  of  the  vessel. 

"  She  seems  in  excellent  condition,"  he  said, 
"  and  I  perceive  no  dirt  or  disorder.  I  should 
not  blush  to  show  her  to  the  highest  dignitary 
in  the  land." 

"  I  hope  not,  sir,"  returned  Mr.  Bailey  with 
a  gratified  smile;  "  and  I  think  if  anything  were 
wrong  no  eyes  would  detect  it  sooner  than  thoee 
of  her  owner." 

"Now  let  us  go  below,  papa,"  said  Lueilla. 
"  I  quite  want  to  take  a  peep  into  my  own  cosey 
stateroom." 

"  Yes,  so  you  shall,"  he  returned,  leading  the 
way. 

"  Oh! "  cried  Lulu  as  they  stepped  into  the 
saloon;  "I  see  you  have  been  making  some 
changes  here,  father;  and  they  are  all  im- 


6  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

provements.  What  lovely  carpets  and  cur- 
tains! " 

"I  am  glad  you  like  them,"  he  said  with  a 
smile,  as  she  turned  toward  him  with  a 
look  of  surprise  and  delight.  "  The  old  ones 
were  looking  considerably  the  worse  for  the 
wear,  and  the  good  parts  I  knew  would  be  ac- 
ceptable and  useful  in  another  place." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  am  sure  of  that,"  she  said  in 
reply,  as  she  hastened  to  the  door  of  her  own 
little  bedroom  and  threw  it  open.  "  Oh,  this 
looks  as  neat,  sweet,  and  pretty  as  possible! " 
she  exclaimed  joyously.  "  Can't  Gracie  and  I 
occupy  it  to-night,  papa  ?  Won't  you  let  us?  " 

"  Probably;  if  matters  are  so  arranged  that 
your  mamma  and  I,  with  the  younger  ones,  can 
be  here  also.  Now,"  consulting  his  watch, 
"  we  will  take  a  hasty  look  at  the  other  state- 
rooms and  then  hurry  back  to  the  cottage  on 
the  crag;  lest  we  keep  Evelyn's  breakfast 
waiting." 

"  I  am  so  glad  the  yacht  is  here,  papa,"  Lu- 
cilla  said  as  they  walked  up  the  winding  path 
that  led  to  Crag  Cottage.  "  I  felt  last  night  as 
if  it  were  an  imposition  for  so  many  of  us  to 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  I 

crowd  into  Evelyn's  small  house — even  though, 
we  were  there  by  her  own  invitation;  and  yet  I 
was  afraid  she  might  feel  hurt  if  we  should  go  off 
very  speedily  to  some  house  of  entertainment." 

"  Yes,"  returned  her  father;  "  but  it  will  be 
all  right  now,  I  think.  If  I  had  known  you 
were  so  troubled  about  the  matter,!  should  have 
told  you  I  was  expecting  the  Dolphin." 

"  But  you  didn't  because  you  wanted  to  give 
me  and  all  the  rest  a  pleasant  surprise?  "  she 
said  questioningly,  and  with  a  loving  look  up 
into  his  eyes. 

"  Yes,  that  was  it.  You  are  as  good  at  guess- 
ing as  a  Yankee." 

"But  I  am  a  Yankee,  am  I  not?"  she 
laughed. 

"  Yes;  you  certainly  belong  to  the  universal 
Yankee  nation;  as  did  your  ancestors  for  sev- 
eral generations.  Both  mine  and  your  mother's 
were  here  long  before  the  Eevolution." 

"  A  fact  which  I  think  is  something  to  rejoice 
over,"  she  said  in  joyous  tones. 

"Therefore  something  to  be  thankful  for," 
he  said  in  a  tone  between  assertion  and  inquiry. 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir;  yes,  indeed!     I  am  very  glad 


8  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

and  thankful  that  you  are  my  father  and  I  am 
your  child." 

"And  I  that  you  are  my  own  dearly  loved 
daughter,"  he  said  in  response. 

"Ah,"  as  a  turn  in  the  walk  brought  the 
house  into  full  view,  "I  see  we  are  no  longer 
the  only  ones  up  and  about" — for  nearly  all 
the  guests  were  now  gathered  upon  the  porch  or 
wandering  to  and  fro  under  the  trees  or  among 
the  flower  beds  near  at  hand. 

"  Oh,  yonder  come  papa  and  Lu! "  shouted 
Ned  at  the  same  moment,  starting  on  a  run  to- 
ward them,  quickly  followed  by  his  cousins,  the 
Leland  boys. 

"Good-morning,  papa  and  Lu,"  "Good- 
morning,  uncle  and  Lu,"  cried  the  three  as  they 
drew  near,  Eric  adding:  "  Have  you  been  down 
by  the  river?  and  is  there  a  walk  along  down  by 
the  water's  edge?" 

"  In  some  places,"  his  uncle  answered,  "  but 
you  can  go  down  and  see  for  yourselves  after 
breakfast." 

"  Oh,  yes;  I  presume  we  can  get  permission; 
especially  if  papa  or  you  will  go  with  us,  Uncle 
Levis." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  9 

"It  would  be  still  pleasanter  to  go  up  and 
down  the  river  in  a  boat  though,"  remarked 
Ned,  taking  possession  of  his  father's  hand  as 
they  all  moved  on  toward  the  house.  "Papa, 
can't  you  have  our  yacht  brought  here  for  us  to 
go  in?" 

"  I  suppose  that  might  be  possible,"  was  the 
smiling  rejoinder. 

"  Oh,  that  would  be  splendid,  uncle,"  ex- 
claimed the  two  Leland  boys  in  a  breath. 

"Yes,"  said  Ned;  "for  then  we  could  go 
every  day,  and  all  day,  if  we  wanted  to.  I 
mean,  if  papa  and  the  rest  of  the  grown  folks 
thought  best." 

But  now  they  had  reached  the  house,  and 
morning  greetings  were  the  order  of  the  mo- 
ment. Everyone  was  well,  in  good  spirits,  and 
ready  to  answer  with  alacrity  the  summons  of 
the  breakfast  bell  which  presently  sounded  out. 

Naturally,  their  talk  turned  principally  upon 
the  plans  for  the  best  manner  of  spending  the 
next  few  weeks,  in  order  to  gain  all  possible 
pleasure  and  information  from  their  brief  so- 
journ in  that  part  of  the  country. 

"Papa,"  said  Grace,  "I  should  like  to  see 


10  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

every  place  along  this  river  that  can  boast  of 
any  Eevolutionary  incident  occurring  there.  I 
wish  we  had  our  yacht  here  to  travel  up  and 
down  in.  Won't  you  please  send  for  it?  " 

"  No,  daughter,"  he  said  gravely;  "  I  have  a 
particular  reason  for  not  doing  so;  though  I 
should  like  to  gratify  you." 

"  Yes,  I  know  you  would,  father,  and  so  I  am 
quite  satisfied  with  your  decision,"  she  returned 
pleasantly,  though  with  a  little  sigh  of  regret. 

Violet  gave  her  husband  a  look  of  surprise, 
but  made  no  remark,  and  the  talk  went  on. 

"  I  think  we  would  all  enjoy  visiting  any  and 
every  place  occupied  by,  or  visited  by,  our  Wash- 
ington," remarked  Mrs.  Leland. 

"Yes,"  said  her  husband;  "Newburgh,  for 
one,  and  it  is  not  so  very  far  away." 

"  No,"  said  the  captain,  "  that  is  quite  true." 

"  And  there  are  boats  passing  up  and  down 
every  day,  I  suppose?  "  remarked  Sydney  Dins- 
more  inquiringly. 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed,"  said  Evelyn;  "  so  we  won't 
have  any  difficulty  in  getting  there;  though  we 
can't  have  the  Dolphin  to  go  in." 

"Papa,  why  can't  we  have  our  yacht  come 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  11 

here  so  that  we  can  go  up  and  down  in  it?  " 
asked  Neddie. 

"  Have  I  said  we  couldn't?  "  was  his  father's 
smiling  rejoinder. 

"  No,  sir;  at  least,  I  didn't  hear  you  say  it — 
but  she  isn't  here." 

"  It  is  really  quite  wonderful  how  much  some 
little  hoys  know,"  laughed  Lucilla.  "However, 
I  don't  helieve  it  would  require  a  great  deal  of 
coaxing  to  induce  papa  to  send  for  her." 

"  But  he  just  refused,"  said  Grace. 

"  You  could  telegraph,  couldn't  you,  papa?  " 
asked  Lucilla.  "But  perhaps  the  repairs  you 
said  she  needed  are  not  finished  yet?  " 

"I  think  they  must  be,"  returned  the  cap- 
tain pleasantly.  "  Perhaps  we  may  get  some 
news  in  regard  to  her  to-day." 

"  And  if  the  repairs  are  finished,  will  you 
aend  for  her?  "  asked  Violet. 

"In  case  they  are,  I  see  no  reason  why  we 
should  not  have  the  use  of  her/'  was  the  rather 
non-committal  reply. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  HALF-HOUR  later  nearly  the  whole  com- 
pany returned  to  the  front  porch  as  the  most 
attractive  spot,  since  from  it  was  a  very  fine 
view  of  the  broad  river  and  its  opposite  shore. 

"  Oh,"  shouted  several  young  voices,  "  there's 
our  flag!  There's  Old  Glory!  " 

"  And  it  must  be  on  a  boat  down  close  to  the 
landing,"  added  Edward  Leland.  "  May  I  run 
down  and  see,  papa?  " 

"  I  think  you  could  see  quite  as  well  from  the 
summer-house  out  yonder  on  the  edge  of  the 
cliff,"  replied  Mr.  Leland,  starting  for  that 
place  himself,  followed  by  most  of  the  others. 

"Why  it's  the  Dolphin,  the  Dolphin!"  ex- 
claimed several  voices  simultaneously,  as  they 
reached  the  arbor  and  caught  sight  of  the  pretty 
craft  in  the  river  below. 

The  young  people  were  at  once  seized  with  an 
eager  desire  to  get  aboard  of  her,  and,  as  the 
captain  seemed  entirely  willing,  the  parents  did 
not  withhold  their  consent. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  13 

"Ah,  papa,"  laughed  Grace  Raymond,  "I 
understand  now  why  you  refused  my  request  to 
send  for  our  yacht;  she  was  already  here,  and 
you  wanted  to  give  me  a  pleasant  surprise." 

"  Yes,  daughter,  that  was  just  it,"  he  re- 
turned; "  for  I  know  you  like  pleasant  sur- 
prises. And  I  hope  to  give  you  and  the  rest  of 
our  party  some  pleasant  trips  up  and  down  the 
river  in  her." 

"  Which  I  am  sure  we  shall  all  find  extremely 
enjoyable,  captain,"  remarked  Grandma  Elsie. 

The  whole  company  were  wending  their  way 
down  to  the  river  and  the  yacht  as  they  talked/ 
and  presently  they  were  all  on  board,  viewing 
and  commenting  admiringly  upon  the  refur- 
nishing and  other  improvements. 

"Are  you  all  too  tired  of  travel  to  enjoy  a 
sail — perhaps  only  a  short  one — up  or  down  the 
river?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Oh,  no — not  we,  indeed!  "  was  the  simul- 
taneous exclamation  of  many  voices,  older  and 
younger;  and  not  one  was  raised  against  it. 

"  I  see  you  are  all  willing,"  said  Captain  Ray- 
mond, glancing  about  from  one  to  another  of 
the  bright,  eager  faces.  "  Suppose  I  take  you 


U  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

to  Newburgh,  which  is  not  very  far  away,  and 
let  you  see  the  Hasbrouck  House,  Washington's 
old  headquarters?  How  many  would  like 
that?  " 

"  Oh,  all  of  us!  all  of  us!  "  cried  several  voices 
with  enthusiasm. 

"  Then  we  will  get  up  steam  and  go  at  once," 
he  said.  "  Will  that  suit  you,  my  dear?  "  turn- 
ing to  Violet. 

"Perfectly — if  we  may  have  a  few  minutes 
to  go  up  to  the  house  and  make  some  slight 
preparation.  You  see,  I  have  come  down  with- 
out hat  or  bonnet,"  she  added  with  merry  look 
and  tone. 

"  Oh,  yes,  anyone  who  wishes  may  do  that," 
he  replied  pleasantly.  "  And  I  must  give 
orders  to  my  cook." 

"  Oh,  no,  captain,"  exclaimed  Evelyn,  over- 
hearing him;  "I  have  arranged  for  dinner  at 
the  house,  and " 

"Then,  my  dear  girl,  hurry  up  and  rescind 
your  orders;  for  we  will  not  be  back  in  season 
to  take  that  meal  here;  and  the  Dolphin  is  well 
supplied  with  provisions,"  was  his  smiling  re- 
joinder. And  with  a  hasty  "  Oh,  thank  you,  sir! 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  15 

You  are  very,  very  kind  and  thoughtful,"  ac- 
companied by  a  pleased  and  grateful  look,  she 
hurried  away  after  the  others,  who  were  already 
making  rapid  progress  toward  Crag  Cottage. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  gather  up  the  few 
.articles  wanted  and  return  to  the  yacht,  which 
immediately  started  for  ISTewburgh. 

The  weather  was  all  that  could  be  desired — a 
gentle  breeze  blowing  from  the  north,  and  light, 
fleecy  white  clouds  tempering  the  heat  of  the 
sun. 

"How  far  from  New  York  is  Newburgh, 
papa?  "  asked  Grace. 

"  Sixty  miles,"  he  replied.  "  It  is  on  the 
western  bank  of  the  river  and  in  the  midst  of 
some  of  the  finest  scenery  in  the  world,  Lossing 
says,  and  I  entirely  agree  with  him.  Are  you 
not  of  the  same  opinion,  mother?  "  turning  to 
Grandma  Elsie. 

"  Yes,"  she  said  heartily;  "  and  we  will  have 
a  fine  view  of  it  from  the  piazza  of  the  Has- 
brouck  House." 

"  Is  that  where  we  are  going?  "  asked  Little 
Elsie. 

"Yes;  that  is  the  house  where  Washington 


16  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

had  his  headquarters  at  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tion." 

"Oh,  I'm  glad!"  exclaimed  the  little  girl. 
"  I'd  like  to  see  every  place  where  Washington 
used  to  be." 

"Yes,"  said  her  mother;  "I  think  we  all 
would.  But,  now,  let  us  not  miss  the  beautiful 
scenery  we  are  passing  through  on  our  way  to 
Newburgh." 

"  Oh,  yes,  mamma,  it  is  lovely!  and  I  am 
proud  of  it  as  being  part  of  my  country — my 
own  dear  native  land." 

"  As  we  all  are,"  said  Grace.  "  I  think  my 
native  land  the  best  and  loveliest  the  sun  shines 
upon." 

Her  father,  standing  near,  smiled  his  ap- 
proval of  the  sentiment,  and  Grandma  Elsie 
remarked  pleasantly:  "  That  is  a  good  frame  of 
mind  to  be  in  when  visiting  Revolutionary 
scenes." 

"  This  will  not  be  your  first  visit  to  New- 
burgh  and  the  Hasbrouck  House,  mother? " 
said  the  captain  in  a  tone  of  inquiry. 

"  No,"  she  answered,  "  I  was  there  some  years 
ago,  but  am  well  pleased  to  repeat  my  visit." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  17 

"When  was  it  that  Washington  was  there?" 
asked  Elsie.  "I  know  that  some  of  the  time 
he  was  in  Massachusetts  and  at  other  times  in 
New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania." 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father,  "  but  he  was  here  on 
the  Hudson,  holding  his  headquarters  at  New- 
burgh,  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution.  It  wa3 
in  April,  1782,  he  took  possession  of  his  quar- 
ters there,  and  there  he  continued  most  of  the 
time  until  November,  1783,  when  the  Conti- 
nental Army  was  disbanded." 

"  Because  the  war  was  over?  "  asked  Eric  Le- 
land. 

"  Yes;  and  the  brave  men  who  had  done  and 
suffered  so  much  together  had  to  bid  each  other 
farewell,  separate,  and  go  to  their  homes.  Of 
course  they  were  very  glad  and  thankful  that 
liberty  was  gained  and  the  dreadful  struggle 
over,  yet  it  was  sad  to  part;  especially  from  their 
beloved  chief." 

"  Wasn't  it  there,  father,  that  some  of  them 
had  proposed  to  make  him  king?  "  asked  Grace. 

"  Yes;  but  he  received  the  proposal  with  ab- 
horrence. Washington  had  fought  to  win  free- 
dom for  his  country,  not  to  win  power  and  glory 


IS  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

for  himself.  He  had  no  hunger  for  them,  "But 
a  great  love  of  liberty  for  his  country  and  him- 
self." 

"  Do  you  think  he  was  as  great  a  man  as  Na- 
poleon, captain?  "  asked  Sydney. 

"  Greater,  much  greater!  Napoleon  un- 
doubtedly had  genius,  but  he  was  utterly  selfish, 
utterly  unscrupulous  in  the  means  he  took  to 
gain  power  and  satisfy  his  own  ambition — even 
sacrificing  the  wife  he  probably  really  loved 
(after  his  own  selfish  fashion)  in  order  to  get  an 
heir  to  the  throne  he  had  usurped." 

"  And  his  fortunes  began  to  wane  from  the 
time  that  he  divorced  poor  Josephine,"  re- 
marked Mr.  Leland. 

"  Yes;  and  the  son  and  heir  to  gain  which  he 
had  done  such  wickedness  never  succeeded  to 
the  crown  or  throne,"  remarked  Grandma  Elsie. 
" '  The  triumphing  of  the  wicked  is  short.' " 

"I  never  thought  of  it  before,"  remarked 
Sydney;  "but  isn't  it  odd  that  each  of  those 
great  men  married  a  widow  with  children,  and 
had  none  of  his  own  by  her?  " 

"  And  of  our  Washington  it  has  been  said, 
'  Providence  left  him  childless  that  his  country 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  19 

might  call  him  father/  "  said  Mrs.  Leland.  "  I 
have  always  thought  that  a  very  pretty  idea." 

"  A  true  one  too,  I  do  believe,"  said  Evelyn; 
"  he  was  so  true  a  patriot — so  wise,  so  unselfish, 
so  true  and  good." 

"  A  countryman  to  he  very,  very  proud  of, 
and  very  thankful  to  God  for  giving  us,"  said 
Grandma  Elsie;  "  especially  at  that  time,  when 
he  was  so  much  needed." 

"  Are  there  not  a  good  many  places  in  this 
neighborhood  where  something  happened  dur- 
ing the  Ee volution,  papa?  "  asked  Grace. 

"Yes,  a  good  many.  Orange  County  was 
one  of  the  first  settled  portions  of  this  State, 
named  in  honor  of  William,  Prince  of  Orange, 
afterward  King  of  England.  The  first  settlers 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Newburgh  were 
Germans.  They  remained  for  only  a  time, 
however.  They  grew  dissatisfied,  sold  out,  and 
left;  some  going  to  Pennsylvania.  Their  places 
were  filled  by  English,  Irish,  New  Englanders, 
and  a  few  Huguenots;  and  a  number  of  settle- 
ments were  soon  planted  along  the  river  and  in 
the  rich  bottom  lands  bordering  the  smaller 
streams.  Many  stirring  tales  could  be  told  of 


20  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

their  privations,  alarms,  and  sufferings  from  the 
attacks  of  the  Indians,  both  before  and  during 
the  Revolution." 

"Papa,"  said  Little  Elsie  earnestly,  "don't 
you  think  we  ought  to  thank  our  Heavenly 
Father  very  often  that  we  didn't  live  then  and 
here  instead  of  now  and  where  we  do?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,  daughter,"  he  replied;  "we 
have  great  reason  to  thank  God  for  the  liberty 
and  security  that  are  ours,  and  I  think  we 
should  ever  remember  with  love  and  gratitude 
the  brave  men  who  fought  and  bled  to  secure 
these  liberties  for  us." 

"  Indeed  we  should!  "  said  Mrs.  Travilla  ear- 
nestly. "How  it  would  have  cheered  and 
helped  them  in  their  toils  and  privations  and 
struggles  if  they  could  have  foreseen  the  great 
results  visible  in  these  days! " 

It  was  not  yet  noon  when  they  reached  New- 
burgh,  pausing  in  the  southern  suburbs,  where, 
on  a  hill  overlooking  the  river,  stood  a  gray  old 
building  which  the  captain  pointed  out  as  the 
Hasbrouck  House.  They  had  soon  climbed  the 
hill  and  were  standing  on  the  porch,  thinking 
with  a  thrill  of  feeling,  as  they  glanced  about 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  21 

them  and  down  at  the  river,  that  here  Washing- 
ton had  stood  in  days  long  gone  by  and  gazed 
upon  the  same  scenes,  probably  but  little 
changed  since  then. 

Grandma  Elsie,  the  captain,  and  Mr.  Leland 
had  all  been  there  before,  and  presently  pointed 
out  to  the  others  various  historic  places — Polio- 
pel's  Island,  Fishkill,  New  Windsor,  Plumb 
Point,  and  the  Beacon  Hills;  also,  through  the 
gateway  in  the  Highlands  formed  by  Break- 
neck and  Butter  hills,  glimpse  of  distant  West 
Point  and  the  mountains  that  surround  it. 

Then  they  went  inside  the  dwelling,  passing 
first  into  a  large  square  room  which  they  were 
told  was  used  by  Washington  as  a  dining  hall 
and  for  his  public  audiences. 

"  Notice  the  doors  and  windows,  children," 
said  the  captain. 

"  Windows,  papa!  why,  there  is  only  one! " 
exclaimed  Elsie. 

"  Ah!  and  how  many  doors?  "  he  asked. 

"  Why,  seven!  "  cried  Neddie;  "  Fve  counted 
them." 

"Yes,  you  are  right,"  said  his  father. 
"  That " — pointing  to  one  on  the  left —  "  opens 


22  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

into  what  was  Washington's  sitting  room;  the 
other,  on  the  same  side,  into  his  bedroom." 

"  There  is  no  plaster  on  this  ceiling,"  re- 
marked Edward  Leland,  looking  up.  "  But 
those  great,  heavy  beams  make  it  look  very 
strong  as  well  as  old-fashioned." 

"Yes,"  said  Captain  Eaymond;  "they  are 
nine  inches  wide  and  fourteen  deep.  This  part 
of  the  house  is  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  old." 

"  How  much  of  it,  papa?  "  asked  Lucilla. 

"  This  large  room  and  the  two  bedrooms 
there  on  the  north  side.  That  part  was  built 
in  1750,  was  it  not?  "  he  asked,  turning  to  the 
woman  who  had  admitted  them. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  she  replied.  "  Some  time  after 
the  kitchen;  that  is  on  the  south  side.  In  1770 
they  added  to  the  west  side.  The  dates  are  cut 
in  the  stone  of  the  walls." 

"  What  a  very  big  fireplace  that  is! "  re- 
marked Little  Elsie — "the  largest  I  ever 
saw." 

"Almost  big  enough  to  roast  an  ox  in,  I 
should  say,"  said  Edward  Leland. 

"  A  small  bullock  probably,"  said  his  father. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  23 

"  Who  owns  this  house  now?  "  asked  the  boy, 
turning  to  the  woman. 

"  The  State  of  New  York/'  she  answered. 
"It  used  to  belong  to  the  Hasbrouck  family, 
but  the  State  bought  it  to  keep  as  a  relic  of  the 
Kevolution." 

"I  am  glad  they  did,"  said  Lucilla.  "I 
think  everything  that  Washington  ever  used 
should  be  kept  in  memory  of  him." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  assented  the  woman.  Then, 
leading  the  way,  "  And  we  have  a  cabinet  here 
of  relics  of  the  Eevolution  which  I  am  sure  will 
interest  you." 

All  were  much  interested  in  what  she 
showed  them,  especially  in  some  muskets,  of 
which  she  said,  "  They  are  some  of  those  bought 
in  France  by  Lafayette,  with  his  own  money, 
and  presented  to  his  own  favorite  corps  of  light 
infantry." 

"  Oh,  that  makes  them  very  interesting! " 
exclaimed  Lucilla,  her  cheeks  flushing  and  her 
eyes  sparkling. 

Sydney  said  inquiringly,  "Lady  Washing- 
ton was  here  with  her  husband,  was  she 
not?" 


34  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  was  the  reply;  "  in  the  summer  of 
1783;  and  as  she  was  fond  of  gardening  she  had 
some  flower  heds  out  in  the  grounds." 

"  That  was  about  at  the  end  of  the  war,"  said 
Sydney. 

"  Yes/'  said  the  captain,  "  and  it  was  in  fchia 
old  house  that  Washington  wrote  his  address  to 
the  officers  of  whom  we  were  speaking  a  while 
ago,  and  a  circular  letter  addressed  to  the  Gov- 
ernors of  all  the  States  on  disbanding  the  army. 
They  were  admirable  documents. 

"  A  good  many  of  the  troops  went  home  on 
furlough,  and  then  Washington,  having  leisure 
for  it,  went  up  the  Hudson  with  Governor  Clin- 
ton to  visit  the  principal  battlefields  of  the 
North — Stillwater,  Ticonderoga,  and  Crown 
Point;  also  to  Fort  Schuyler,  on  the  Mohawk. 

"  He  returned  here,  after  an  absence  of  nine- 
teen days,  to  find  a  letter  from  the  President  of 
Congress  asking  him  to  attend  upon  that  body, 
then  in  session  at  Princeton,  N.  J.  He  did  so, 
after  waiting  a  little  for  the  recovery  of  his 
wife,  who  was  not  well.  And  while  waiting  he 
had,  out  yonder  upon  the  lawn,  an  affecting 
final  parting  with  many  of  his  subalterns  and 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  25 

eoldiers.  That  took  place  upon  the  day  he  left 
to  answer  the  call  of  Congress." 

"Did  he  return  here,  captain?"  asked 
Evelyn. 

"  No;  he  made  his  headquarters  at  West 
Point  for  a  few  days  in  November,  and  from 
there  went  down  to  New  York  City  and  took 
possession  of  it  on  its  evacuation  by  the 
British." 

Our  party  passed  out  upon  the  porch  again, 
feasted  their  eyes  upon  the  beauties  of  the  land- 
scape for  a  few  moments;  then,  having  gener- 
ously remunerated  the  woman  for  her  services, 
returned  to  the  yacht. 

Again  seated  upon  the  deck,  they  chatted 
among  themselves,  their  talk  running  for  the 
most  part  upon  the  scenes  through  which  they 
were  passing  and  the  Revolutionary  events 
connected  with  them. 

The  captain  pointed  out  New  Windsor,  as 
they  passed  it,  with  the  remark  that  it  was 
where  Washington  established  his  headquarters 
on  the  23d  of  June,  1779,  and  again  near  the 
close  of  1780,  remaining  till  the  summer  of 
1781. 


26  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

fe'1     ' 

"  Oh,  can  you  point  out  the  house,  father?  " 
exclaimed  Lucilla. 

"No/*  he  replied;  "it  was  a  plain  Dutch 
building,  long  since  decayed  and  demolished." 

"  Did  not  Washington  go  from  New  Windsor 
to  Peekskill?  "  asked  Grandma  Elsie. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  captain.  "  Oh,  yonder  is 
Plum  Point  also,  and  of  that  I  have  a  little 
story  to  tell.  There,  at  the  foot  of  that  steep 
bank,  there  was,  in  the  times  we  have  been  talk- 
ing of,  a  redoubt  with  a  battery  of  fourteen 
guns  designed  to  cover  strong  chevaux-de-frise 
and  other  obstructions  placed  in  the  river.  A 
litfle  above  that  battery,  and  long  before  it  was 
made,  a  loghouse  used  to  stand.  It  belonged  to 
a  Scotchman  named  M'Evers.  When  thinking 
of  emigrating  to  America,  he  asked  his  servant 
Mike  if  he  would  go  with  him.  Mike,  being 
much  attached  to  him,  replied,  '  Indeed,  gude 
mon,  I'll  follow  ye  to  the  gates  o'  hell  if  ye 
gang  there  yersel.'  So  they  came  over.  The 
ocean  could  not  be  crossed  so  rapidly  in  those 
days  as  in  ours,  and  their  voyage  was  long  and 
tempestuous.  Then  the  vessel,  instead  of  en- 
tering New  York  Harbor  by  the  Narrows,  sailed 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  27 

through  Long  Island  Sound  and  the  East 
Biver.  At  the  whirlpool  called  Hellgate  the 
ship  struck  upon  the  Hog's  Back  with  a  terrible 
crash.  The  frightened  passengers — none  of 
them  more  frightened  than  Mike — rushed  upon 
the  deck.  '  What  place  is  it?  '  he  asked.  <  Hell- 
gate,'  answered  a  sailor.  '  God  ha'  mercy  on 
me! '  groaned  Mike;  '  I  promised  my  master  I'd 
follow  him  to  the  gates  o'  hell,  but  I  didna  say 
I'd  gang  through  with  him.'  However,  the 
vessel  floated  off  with  the  tide,  carried  its  pas- 
sengers safely  into  the  city,  and  Mike  lived  to 
be  a  gardener  on  Plum  Point." 

"  Is  that  a  real,  true  story,  papa? "  asked 
Elsie. 

"  I  think  so,"  he  said. 

"I  suppose,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "some — 
perhaps  all — of  you  have  heard  an  anecdote  in 
connection  with  that  dining  room  of  the  Has- 
brouck  House — published  in  the  New  York 
Mirror  for  1834?  " 

Several  voices  answered  in  the  negative  and 
urged  her  to  go  on  and  tell  it,  which  she  did. 
"  During  the  Revolution,"  she  said,  "  a  French- 
man named  Marbois  was  secretary  of  that  lega- 


28  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

tion  here.  Shortly  before  Laf  ayette^s  death  he, 
with  the  American  minister  and  several  of  his 
countrymen,  was  invited  to  dine  at  the  house 
of  Marbois.  At  the  supper  hour  the  gueste 
were  shown  into  a  room  which  presented  a 
strange  contrast  to  the  elegance  of  the  apart- 
ments in  which  they  had  spent  the  evening. 
There  were  numerous  small  doors;  one  uncur- 
tained small  window;  a  low  boarded,  painted 
ceiling  with  large  beams;  all  together  giving  it 
very  much  the  appearance  of  the  kitchen  of  a 
Dutch  or  Belgian  farmhouse;  and  on  the  table 
was  a  repast  quite  in  keeping  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  room.  There  was  a  large  dish  of 
meat,  uncouth-looking  pastry,  and  wine  in 
bottles  and  decanters,  accompanied  by  glasses 
and  silver  mugs  such  as  seemed  but  ill-suited  to 
the  habits  and  tastes  of  modern  Paris.  '  Do 
you  know  where  we  now  are? '  the  host  asked, 
addressing  Lafayette  and  the  other  guests. 
They  were  too  much  surprised  to  answer  for  a 
moment.  They  knew  they  had  somewhere  seen 
something  like  it  before — but  where?  'Ah! 
the  seven  doors  and  one  window! '  Lafayette 
exclaimed  presently;  'and  the  silver  camp- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  29 

goblets,  such  as  the  marshals  of  France  used  in 
my  youth.  We  are  at  Washington's  head- 
quarters on  the  Hudson,  fifty  years  ago.'  " 

"A  great  deal  must  have  happened  in  this 
region  during  the  Revolution,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Leland.  "  Haven't  you  another  little  story  for 
us,  mother?  " 

"  Yes;  I  was  just  thinking  that  the  taking  of 
a  spy  occurred  not  far  from  here.  At  the  time 
that  Washington's  headquarters  were  at  New- 
burgh,  Generals  Greene  and  Knox  had  theirs  in 
a  house  on  the  New  Windsor  Road  about  three 
miles  west  from  Plum  Point;  and  about  a  mile 
farther  west  was  the  house  of  Mrs.  Falls. 
There  Governor  Clinton  had  his  headquarters. 
He  and  his  brother  were  in  command  of  Forts 
Clinton  and  Montgomery,  among  the  Hudson 
Highlands,  when  the  British  succeeded  in  tak- 
ing them  in  spite  of  the  desperate  defence  of  the 
American  patriots.  It  was  then  General  Clin- 
ton established  his  headquarters  at  the  house  of 
Mrs.  Falls  and  collected  his  dispersed  troops 
preparatory  to  marching  to  the  defence  of 
Kingston.  About  noon  on  the  10th  of  Octo- 
ber a  horseman  came  riding  up  into  the 


30  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

camp  in  great  haste.  The  sentinel  challenged 
him. 

"  He  replied,  '  I  am  a  friend  and  wish  to  see 
General  Clinton/ 

"The  man  was  a  Tory,  hearing  a  message 
from  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to  Burgoyne,  who  was 
at  that  time  hedged  up  in  Saratoga.  This  mes- 
senger supposed  the  American  forces  on  the 
Hudson  to  be  utterly  broken  and  destroyed; 
and,  as  the  British  never  gave  our  officers  their 
titles  in  speaking  of  or  to  them,  he  thought 
General  Clinton  must  belong  to  the  British 
Army,  so  believed  himself  among  his  friends. 

"He  was  taken  to  Clinton's  quarters,  and 
when  he  was  ushered  into  that  officer's  presence 
he  perceived  his  mistake.  '  I  am  lost! '  he  ex- 
claimed to  himself  in  a  low  hut  audible  tone, 
and  hastily  taking  something  from  his  pocket, 
swallowed  it,  evidently  with  some  difficulty. 
This  aroused  the  suspicions  of  those  about  him; 
a  physician  was  summoned,  and  gave  the  pris- 
oner a  powerful  dose  of  tartar  emetic." 

"Why,  grandma,  what  a  foolish  fellow  he 
was  to  take  it! "  exclaimed  Eric  Leland. 

"I  think  it  was  administered  surreptitiously," 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  31 

she  replied,  "in  a  glass  of  wine  or  beer  prob- 
ably, without  letting  him  know  their  suspicions 
or  intentions.  I  have  been  giving  you  Los- 
sing's  version  of  the  affair,  but  years  ago  I  read 
another,  going  rather  more  into  detail.  It  said 
the  patriots  did  not  let  the  Tory  know  their 
suspicions  of  him,  but,  acting  as  if  they  thought 
him  all  right,  invited  him  to  eat  with  them,  and 
secretly  put  the  tartar  emetic  in  the  drink  fur- 
nished him  at  the  meal;  that  he  grew  very  sick 
after  drinking  it,  left  the  table,  and  went  out  of 
doors.  They  watched  him  secretly  and  saw 
that  after  getting  rid  of  what  he  had  eaten  he 
covered  it  with  some  chips.  When  he  had  gone 
back  to  his  companions  at  the  table  some  of 
them  went  out,  scraped  away  the  chips,  and 
found  the  silver  bullet.  Lossing  says  he  (the 
Tory)  succeeded  in  swallowing  it  a  second  time 
and  refused  to  take  another  emetic  until  Gov- 
ernor Clinton  threatened  to  hang  him  upon  a 
tree  and  have  his  stomach  searched  with  a  sur- 
geon's knife.  At  that  he  yielded,  and  the  bullet 
presently  again  appeared. 

"  It  was  a  curiously  wrought,  hollow  sphere, 
with  a  compound  screw  in  the  centre;  inside  of 


32  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

it  was  a  note  from  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to  Gen- 
eral Burgoyne,  written  from  Fort  Montgomery, 
telling  of  their  success,  and  expressing  the  hope 
that  it  might  facilitate  his  (Burgoyne's)  opera- 
tions. 

"This  made  the  guilt  of  the  prisoner  very 
clear.  He  was  not  allowed  to  escape,  and  when, 
soon  afterward,  Governor  Clinton  marched 
with  his  troops  to  the  help  of  the  people  of 
Esopus,  or  Kingston,  he  took  the  spy  with  him; 
and  at  Hurley,  a  few  miles  from  Kingston,  they 
tried,  condemned  the  spy,  and  hung  him  on  an 
apple  tree  near  the  old  church.  The  British 
had  reached  Kingston  first,  and  it  was  then  in 


"  Oh,  what  a  dreadful  thing  war  is!  "  sighed 
Grace.  "So  many  people  are  killed,  and  so 
many  others  robbed  of  everything  but  life." 

"It  is,  indeed,  an  awful  thing/'  assented 
Grandma  Elsie.  "  May  we  of  this  land  never 
again  know  anything  of  its  horrors  by  ex- 
perience." 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  next  day  was  Sunday.  There  were  seT- 
eral  churches  within  easy  walking  distance,  and 
Evelyn  and  her  guests  all  attended  the  morning 
services.  Toward  evening  they  held  a  little 
Bible  service  of  their  own  on  the  porch,  over- 
looking the  beautiful  river.  Captain  Raymond 
was,  as  usual,  the  leader,  being  the  oldest  gen- 
tleman and  the  unanimous  choice  of  those  who 
were  to  take  part. 

He  selected  the  third  chapter  of  Proverbs, 
and  had  them  read  it  verse  about;  then  made  a 
few  remarks. 

" l  In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  him,  and  he 
shall  direct  thy  paths/  That  is  a  precious 
promise,"  he  said;  "  one  to  plead  and  to  rest 
joyfully  upon  in  time  of  doubt  and  perplexity 
such  as  come  to  all  of  us.  Thus  leaning  upon 
God  and  his  promises,  we  may  be  free  from 
care  and  anxiety;  content  with  our  lot  in  life, 

38 


34  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

because  lie  appoints  it.  '  Godliness  with  con- 
tentment is  great  gain.'  Lucilla,  can  you  tell 
us  of  a  Bible  saint  who  had  learned  this  lesson?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  she  replied,  turning  over  the 
leaves  of  her  Bible  as  she  spoke.  "Here  in 
Phillipians,  fourth  chapter  and  eleventh  verse, 
Paul  says,  '  I  have  learned  in  whatsoever  state 
I  am  therewith  to  be  content.' " 

"Yes;  and  he  teaches  the  same  to  those  he 
addresses  in  his  other  epistles.  I  see  you  have 
a  passage  ready,  mother.  Will  you  please  read 
it  to  us?  " 

"  Yes,"  Grandma  Elsie  said  in  reply;  "  here 
in  Hebrews  thirteenth  chapter  and  fifth  verse, 
he  says,  '  Let  your  conversation  be  without  cov- 
etousness;  and  be  content  with  such  things  as 
ye  have:  for  he  hath  said,  I  will  never  leave 
thee,  nor  forsake  thee.'  " 

Then  Violet  read,  " '  But  godliness  with  con- 
tentment is  great  gain;  for  we  brought  nothing 
into  this  world,  and  it  is  certain  we  can  carry 
nothing  out.  And  having  food  and  raiment, 
let  us  be  therewith  content.' " 

"  A  Christian  may  well  be  content  and  joyful, 
even  though  he  have  but  the  bare  necessaries  of 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  35 

Hfe,"  remarked  Grandma  Elsie,  "for  he  may 
boldly  say,  '  The  Lord  is  my  helper,  and  I  will 
not  fear  what  man  shall  do  unto  me.' " 

"No,"  said  Mr.  Leland,  "those  who  belong 
to  Jesus  need  fear  nothing;  for  he  will  never 
forsake  his  own,  and  he  has  all  power  in  heaven 
and  in  earth." 

"How  can  we  know  if  we  belong  to  him, 
papa?"  asked  Eric. 

"If  we  give  ourselves  to  him — truly,  hon- 
estly, and  with  purpose  of  heart  to  serve  him 
while  we  have  any  being — he  will  accept  us  for 
his  own;  for  he  says,  'Him  that  cometh  unto 
me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.' " 

"'Then  will  we  be  Christians  and  follow 
Christ — so  living,  acting,  speaking  that  those 
who  know  us  will  take  knowledge  of  us  that  we 
have  been  with  Jesus  and  learned  of  him,'  "  the 
captain  said.  "  But  one  who  does  not  walk  in 
the  footsteps  of  Christ — striving  to  follow  his 
example  and  do  his  will — to  be  like  him  in 
temper  and  spirit,  is  none  of  his.  But  if  we 
have  of  his  spirit,  then  we  become  with  him 
sons  of  God.  He  is  our  Brother  and  God  the 
Father,  both  his  Father  and  ours.  He  tells  us 


36  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

that  he  came  to  save  eouls.  'For  the  son  of 
man  is  come  not  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to 
save  them.'  We  must  make  it  our  chief  busi- 
ness to  do  his  will  and  win  souls  for  him. 
That  is  the  commission  he  gives  to  each  one 
who  professes  to  love  him.  He  bids  them, 
'  Let  your  light  shine,'  '  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.' 
'He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise,'  is  another 
Bible  text.  Each  one  of  us  must  feel  that  this 
is  his  or  her  own  work.  We  are  none  of  us  to 
live  for  self,  but  to  glorify  God  and  save  the 
souls  of  our  fellow  creatures — by  bringing  them 
to  Christ." 

"Yes,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "and  we  are 
guilty  if  we  neglect  to  obey  our  Father's  com- 
mands. If  we  truly  love  him  we  will  be  very 
earnest  and  persevering  in  our  efforts  to  obey. 
The  prophet  Daniel  tells  us, '  They  that  be  wise 
shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament; 
and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as  the 
stars  for  ever  and  ever/ '' 

"  Grandma,"  said  little  Ned  Raymond,  com- 
ing to  her  side,  later  in  the  evening,  and  looking 
up  at  the  star-spangled  sky,  "  I'd  like  to  shine 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  37 

like  those  beautiful  stars  for  ever  and  ever.  I 
wish  I  knew  how  to  turn  many  to  righteous- 
ness. "What's  the  way  to  do  it?  " 

"  To  tell  them  the  sweet  story  of  Jesus  and 
his  love,"  she  answered  in  low,  moved  tones. 
"  Tell  them  how  he  suffered  and  died  that  we 
might  live.  But  first  you  must  give  your  own 
self  to  him." 

"I  think  I  have,  grandma,"  he  said  in  low, 
earnest  tones.  "  I've  tried  to  do  it,  asking  him 
to  take  me  for  his  very  own,  and  I  think  he  has; 
because,  you  know,  he  says,  '  Him  that  cometh. 
unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.' ': 

"Yes,  dear  child,  that  is  his  own  word 
and  you  need  have  no  fear  that  he  will  not 
keep  it." 

"  But  when  and  where  and  how  should  I  tell 
about  Jesus  to  others?  " 

"  Ask  him  to  show  you  when  and  where — to 
teach  you  what  to  say  and  do,  and  help  you 
never  to  be  ashamed  to  own  yourself  one  of  his 
disciples." 

"  Like  my  father,"  he  said.  "  I  am  sure  he 
is  never  ashamed  or  afraid  to  let  anybody  know 
that  he  loves  and  serves  God.  I  don't  often 


38  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

hear  him  tell  them,  but  he  acts  it  out  always 
and  everywhere." 

"  Yes,  I  think  he  does,"  said  Grandma  Elsie, 
<(  and  it  is  what  we  all  should  do.  Remember 
Jesus'  words,  '  Whosoever,  therefore,  shall  be 
ashamed  of  me  and  of  my  words,  in  this  adul- 
terous and  sinful  generation,  of  him  also  shall 
the  Son  of  Man  be  ashamed,  when  he  cometh 
in  the  glory  of  the  Father  with  the  holy 
angels.' " 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence;  then  Neddie 
asked: 

"  Grandma,  do  you  think  it  was  right  for  our 
soldiers  in  the  Revolution  to  hang  that  man  for 
just  having  that  silver  bullet  in  his  pocket?  " 

a  Yes;  because  success  in  carrying  such  mes- 
sages from  one  British  officer  to  another  would 
probably  have  cost  the  lives  of  very  many  of 
our  people,  and  helped  the  British  to  take  away 
our  liberties." 

"  Oh,  yes!  So  he  was  as  bad  as  a  murderer; 
wasn't  he?  " 

"Very  much  like  one,  I  think.  War  is  a 
dreadful,  dreadful  thing!  I  hope  we  may 
never  have  another." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  39 

"It's  always  wicked  on  one  side,  but  some- 
times right  on  the  other;  isn't  it,  grandma?  " 

"  Yes;  when  life  and  liberty  are  in  peril  it  is 
right  to  fight  for  their  preservation.  Especially 
when  it  is  not  for  ourselves  only,  but  for  our 
children  and  future  generations.  If  our 
fathers  had  weakly  given  up  to  the  tyranny  of 
the  British  Government,  we  would  not  be  the 
free  people  we  are  to-day." 

"  And  it  was  a  dreadfully  hard  fight  for 
them;  wasn't  it,  grandma?"  remarked  little 
Elsie,  who  had  drawn  near  enough  to  hear  the 
latter  part  of  the  conversation. 

"  It  was,  indeed;  and  our  poor  soldiers  went 
through  terrible  sufferings,  from  lack  of  prompt 
pay  and  proper  food  and  clothing,  as  well  as 
from  wounds  and  exposure  to  the  inclement 
weather." 

"  Yes,  grandma,  I  remember  it  was  terribly 
cold  when  they  crossed  the  Delaware  River  and 
fought  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton; 
and,  oh,  so  hot  when  the  Battle  of  Monmouth 
was  fought! " 

"  I'm  glad  our  papa  and  Brother  Max  didn't 
have  to  help  fight  those  battles,"  said  Ned; 


40  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"and  I  hope  we'll  never  have  any  more  wars. 
Don't  you,  grandma?  " 

"  I  do,  indeed,  Neddie,"  grandma  answered; 
"  and  I  hope  it  may  not  be  long  till  we  come  to 
the  time  the  Bible  speaks  of  where  it  says,  *  And 
many  nations  shall  come,  and  say,  Come  and  let 
us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  and  to 
the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob;  and  he  will  teach 
us  of  his  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths: 
for  the  law  shall  go  forth  of  Zion,  and  the  word 
of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem.  And  he  shall 
judge  among  many  people,  and  rebuke  strong 
nations  afar  off;  and  they  shall  beat  their  swords 
into  ploughshares,  and  their  spears  into  pruning 
hooks;  nation  shall  not  lift  up  a  sword  against 
nation,  neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more. 
But  they  shall  sit  every  man  under  his  vine  and 
under  his  fig  tree;  and  none  shall  make  them 
afraid  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  hath 
spoken  it.' " 

"What  a  good  time  that  will  be,"  said  the 
little  girl  thoughtfully.  "I  wish  it  might 
come  soon.  Don't  you,  grandma?  " 

"  Yes,  dear;  I  do,  indeed! "  was  the  sweet- 
toned  reply. 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

IT  was  Monday  morning,  the  sun  not  an  hour 
high,  when  Captain  Eaymond,  sitting  on  the 
Dolphin's  deck,  reading,  heard  a  light  footstep 
approaching,  then  a  sweet-toned  voice  saying, 
"  Good-morning,  my  dear  father,"  and,  looking 
up,  found  Lucilla  standing  at  his  knee,  her 
bright  eyes  gazing  lovingly  down  into  his. 

"  Good-morning,  daughter,"  he  returned, 
taking  her  hand  and  drawing  her  down  to  a 
seat  by  his  side,  then  passing  an  arm  about  her 
waist  and  giving  her  the  accustomed  morning 
caress.  "  Did  you  sleep  well?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  papa;  from  the  minute  I  laid 
my  head  upon  the  pillow  till  I  woke  to  find  it 
broad  daylight." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  It  is  something  that 
both  you  and  I  should  be  very  thankful  for." 

"And  you,  papa?  did  you  sleep  well?  " 

"Very;  as  I  hope  and  believe  all  on  board 
did.  I  suppose  you  left  Grace  still  asleep?  " 

41 


42  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Yes,  sir;  sleeping  so  sweetly  that  I  took  par- 
ticular pains  to  move  quietly  and  not  wake 
her." 

"  That  was  right,"  he  said.  "  I  want  her — 
my  feehle  little  girl — to  take  all  the  sleep  she 
can." 

"  So  do  I,  father;  and  I  think  she  has  gained 
a  good  deal  in  health  and  strength  since  she  has 
had  you  at  home  almost  all  the  time  to  take  care 
of  her." 

"  That's  what  fathers  are  for — to  take  care  of 
the  children,"  he  returned  with  a  smile. 

"  Well,  daughter,  what  would  you  like  to  do 
to-day?  " 

"  Whatever  my  father  bids  me,"  she  said  with 
a  happy  laugh. 

"Ah!  isn't  that  a  rash  choice?"  he  asked, 
passing  his  hand  caressingly  over  her  hair  and 
smiling  down  at  her  as  he  spoke. 

"  No,  sir;  I  think  not — considering  how  wise, 
kind,  and  loving  my  father  is." 

"What  would  you  think  of  a  trip  up  to 
Kingston — to  view  it  as  one  of  the  scenes  of 
Revolutionary  occurrences?  " 

<e  Oh,  I  should  like  it  very  much! "  she  ex- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  4$ 

claimed  with  eager  delight.  "Do  you  think 
of  going  there  to-day,  papa?  " 

"  I  have  been  thinking  it  would  answer  very 
well  as  a  sequel  to  our  Saturday's  visit  to  "Wash- 
ington's old  quarters  at  Newburgh.  We  will 
make  the  suggestion  at  the  breakfast  table,  and 
see  what  the  rest  of  our  company  think  of  it." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  believe  anyone  will  think  of  ob- 
jecting. I  shall  be  astonished  if  they  do." 

"  But  there  are  other  places  some  may  prefer 
visiting  first,  and  it  will  be  only  polite  and  kind 
to  let  each  one  express  his  or  her  preference." 

"  And  the  majority  decide,  I  suppose?  " 

"  That  is  my  idea,"  he  said  pleasantly. 

"Your  ideas  are  always  kind  ones,  father 
dear,"  she  responded  with  a  loving  look  up  into 
his  eyes. 

"  Though  occasionally  not  altogether  agree- 
able to  my  eldest  daughter,  eh?  "  he  returned 
with  a  smile,  and  playfully  patting  the  hand 
which  he  held. 

"  Ah,  papa,  I  do  not  often  object  by  word  or 
look  to  your  decisions  nowadays,  do  I?  "  she 
eaid  half-imploringly. 

"  No,  it  has  been  a  very  rare  thing  for  a  very 


44  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

long  while  now/'  he  said  with  a  tenderly  affec- 
tionate look — "  so  rare  that  I  really  believe  my 
dear  eldest  daughter  has  come  to  have  full  faith 
in  her  father's  wisdom  and  love  for  her." 

"Indeed,  papa,  I  don't  doubt  either  in  the 
very  least,"  she  exclaimed  with  an  energy  that 
brought  an  amused  smile  to  her  father's  lips  and 
eyes. 

"  Good-morning,  papa! "  cried  a  sweet  child 
voice  at  that  moment;  "  here  we  come,  and 
mamma  will  follow  in  a  very  few  minutes." 
And  with  that  Elsie  and  Ned  came  bounding 
across  the  deck  to  their  father's  side.  He  wel- 
comed both  with  kind  greetings  and  fatherly 
caresses. 

"  Is  your  sister  Grace  up  yet?  "  he  asked,  and 
Elsie  answered:  "  Yes,  sir;  and  almost  dressed. 
She  opened  her  door  as  I  was  going  by,  and 
gave  me  a  kiss,  and  told  me  to  tell  papa  she 
would  be  ready  to  go  up  to  breakfast  in  a  very 
few  minutes! " 

"Ah,"  he  said;  "I  fear  she  may  hurry  to& 
much  for  her  feeble  strength.  Neddie,  boy,  gt» 
down  to  the  cabin,  knock  at  your  sister's  door, 
and  tell  her  papa  says  it  is  so  early  yet  that  she 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  45 

need  not  hurry  with  her  dressing.  We  will 
wait  till  she  and  mamma  are  quite  ready  to  go 
up  to  the  house." 

"I  will,  papa,"  was  the  ready  and  cheerful 
response,  as  the  little  fellow  turned  to  obey,  but 
then  he  paused  with  the  exclamation,  "  Oh, 
here  they  come — both  of  them!  " 

The  captain  rose  to  exchange  morning  greet- 
ings with  his  wife  and  daughter,  then  all  set 
out  for  the  cottage  on  the  hill. 

They  found  the  other  guests  gathered  on  the 
front  porch,  and  when  morning  salutations  had 
been  exchanged  they  fell  into  conversation, 
breakfast  being  not  quite  ready.  The  question 
was  at  once  proposed  how  and  where  they 
should  spend  the  day,  and  when  the  captain  told 
of  his  plan  in  regard  to  that,  it  was  hailed  with 
delight.  No  one  could  think  of  anything  bet- 
ter, and  it  was  decided  that  they  would  start 
yery  shortly  after  finishing  their  morning  meal. 

"  Will  it  be  a  long  voyage,  captain?  "  asked 
Sydney  in  a  jesting  tone. 

"  Something  less  than  crossing  the  Atlantic," 
he  returned  with  becoming  gravity. 

"  It  certainly  is,  captain,"  Evelyn  said  with  a 


46  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

smile.  Then  turning  to  Sydney,  "  Kingston,  is 
ninety-three  miles  north  of  New  York." 

"  Oh,  well  then,  one  will  not  need  to  burden 
one's  self  with  much  luggage,"  laughed  Sydney. 

"  So  there  will  be  no  time  consumed  in  pack- 
ing trunks,"  remarked  Lucilla. 

"  I  never  have  any  trouble  about  that.  Papa 
always  does  it  for  me,"  said  Grace,  giving  him  a 
loving  look  and  smile. 

"  Will  we  go  on  shore  at  Kingston,  papa?  " 
asked  Elsia 

"  Probably,"  he  replied. 

"  And  see  the  tree  the  silver  bullet  man  was 
hung  on?  "  asked  Neddie. 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  it  is  still  standing 
or  not,  my  son,"  replied  his  father;  "  and,  if  so, 
it  probably  looks  much  like  other  apple  trees. 
"  It  was  not  at  Kingston  he  was  hanged,  how- 
ever, but  at  Hurley — a  few  miles  from  there." 

"  Kingston  is  a  very  old  place,  is  it  not?  " 
asked  Violet. 

"Yes,"  said  her  mother;  "it  was  settled  by 
the  Dutch  as  early  as  1663,  Lossing  tells  us,  and 
at  first  called  Wiltwyck — which  means  wild 
witch  or  Indian  Witch — on  account  of  the 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  4? 

troubles  between  the  settlers  and  the  Indians. 
A  redoubt  was  built  by  the  Dutch  on  the  bank 
of  the  creek  near  the  old  landing  place,  and  they 
called  the  creek  Redoubt  Kill,  or  Creek.  Now 
it  is  called  Rondout — a  corruption  of  Redoubt. 
Years  later,  near  the  close  of  the  century,  the 
population  of  the  town  was  increased  by  a  valu- 
able addition  from  Europe — a  colony  of  French 
Huguenots,  who  fled  from  that  dreadful  perse- 
cution begun  in  1685  by  Louis  XIV.'s  revoca- 
tion of  the  Edict  of  Nantes." 

"What  does  that  mean,  grandma?"  asked 
Neddie. 

"  I  will  tell  you  sometime;  perhaps  while  we 
are  going  up  the  river  to-day,"  she  answered  in 
kindly  tones.  "  I  cannot  do  it  now.  for  there  is 
the  breakfast  bell." 

They  were  all  seated  upon  the  Dolphin's  deck 
very  shortly  after  leaving  the  table,  and  in  a  few 
moments  the  yacht  was  steaming  rapidly  up  the 
river.  Then  Neddie,  going  to  his  grand- 
mother's side,  claimed  her  promise  to  explain  to 
him  what  was  meant  by  an  edict — particularly 
the  one  of  which  she  had  spoken. 

"  An  edict,"  she  said,  "  is  a  public  decree  that 


48  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

things  shall  be  so  and  so.  The  Edict  of  Nantes 
said  that  the  persecution  of  the  Protestants 
must  stop  and  they  be  allowed  to  worship  God 
as  they  deemed  right;  the  revocation  of  that 
edict  gave  permission  to  the  Eomanists  to  begin 
persecution  again.  Therefore,  to  save  their 
lives,  the  Protestants  had  to  flee  to  other  lands." 

"  Where  did  they  go,  grandma?  "  asked  Eric, 
who  was  listening  with  as  keen  an  interest  as 
Neddie  himself. 

"  A  great  many  to  England  and  Germany  and 
some  to  this  country.  It  was  really  a  great  loss 
to  France,  for  they  were  industrious  and  skil- 
ful artisans — manufacturers  of  silk,  jewelry, 
and  glass." 

"  I'm  glad  some  of  them  did  come  here,"  said 
Eric.  "  The  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  was 
before  that,  wasn't  it,  grandma?  " 

"  Yes;  on  the  26th  of  August,  1572;  in  that 
seventy  thousand  Protestants  were  butchered 
by  the  Papists  in  France,  by  the  authority  of 
the  Pope  and  the  king.  From  that  time  on, 
until  1598,  there  were  terrible  persecutions, 
stopped  in  that  year  by  Henry  IV/s  issue  of  the 
Edict  of  Nantes,  allowing,  as  I  have  told  you, 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  49 

Protestants  to  worship  God  according  to  the 
dictates  of  their  consciences.  That  edict  re- 
mained in  force  for  nearly  a  century,  but  was 
revoked  in  1685  by  Louis  XIV." 

"  Then  the  Protestants  moved  away  to  escape 
being  killed?  "  asked  Eric. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Grandma  Elsie,  "  and  some  of 
them  came  up  this  river  and  settled  on  its 
shores.  They  found  it  less  hazardous  to  dwell 
beside  the  savage  Indians  than  among  the  per- 
secuting Papists." 

"  So  they  came  across  the  ocean  and  up  this 
river  and  settled  near  Kingston,  did  they, 
grandma  ?  "  queried  Eric. 

"  They  settled  in  the  valley  of  Ulster  and 
Orange  counties,"  she  answered. 

"And  then  they  had  good  times,  I  hope," 
said  ISTeddie. 

"Not  for  some  time,"  she  answered,  "be- 
cause the  Indians  were  fierce  and  jealous  of  the 
palefaces,  as  they  called  the  whites.  It  was  not 
until  after  the  Kevolution  that  they  ceased  to 
give  trouble  to  the  white  settlers,  both  Hugue- 
nots and  others.  But  it  was  borne  with  pa- 
tience and  perseverance;  and  many  of  their 


50  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

descendants  helped  in  the  hard  struggle  for  our 
independence." 

"Fighting  the  British  in  the  Revolutionary 
War,  do  you  mean,  grandma?  "  asked  Neddie. 

"Yes;  fighting  for  freedom.  That  was  the 
war  that  made  us  the  great  and  growing  nation 
that  we  are  to-day.  It  was  a  fearful  struggle, 
but  God -helped  us,  and  we  should  never  forget 
to  give  him  thanks  for  our  liberties." 

"  I  hope  we  won't,"  said  Eric.  "  Papa  says 
we  have  more  to  be  thankful  for  than  any  other 
people;  and  I  think  so  myself." 

"  As  I  do,"  said  his  grandma;  "  and  my  little 
grandsons  are  much  better  off  than  very  many 
other  children,  even  in  this  good  land." 

"Yes,  grandma,  I  know  that;  papa  and 
mamma  often  remind  me  of  it;  and  I  do  feel 
thankful  for  my  many  blessings;  for  none  of 
them  more  than  for  my  dear,  sweet  grand- 
ma," he  added  with  a  loving  look  into  her 
eyes. 

"As  I  do  for  my  dear  grandchildren,"  she 
returned,  giving  him  a  loving  smile  and  softly 
patting  the  hand  he  had  laid  on  her  knee. 

"Indeed,  we  all  love  you  dearly,  grandma," 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  51 

exclaimed  Ned.  "  But,  now,  please  won't  you 
go  on  and  tell  us  some  more?  Tell  about  the 
Indians,  and  what  they  and  the  white  folks  did 
to  each  other." 

"  I  could  not  tell  all  that  was  don%  nor  would 
it  be  a  pleasant  story  if  I  could,"  replied  Grand- 
ma Elsie.  "  The  Esopus  Indians  lived  on  the 
flats  extending  northward  from  the  creek  for 
some  distance.  They  did  not  fancy  their  white 
neighbors,  and  determined  to  kill  them.  They 
fell  upon  the  settlement  one  day  while  the  able- 
bodied  men  were  in  the  field  and  slew  sixty-five 
persons.  The  others  fled  to  the  redoubt,  and 
the  Indians  began  to  build  a  stockade  near  it. 
But  a  call  for  help  was  sent  to  New  York,  and 
the  Governor  sent  troops,  who  drove  the  In- 
dians back  to  the  mountains.  Not  long  after- 
ward the  Dutch  followed  the  Indians  into  their 
fastnesses,  destroyed  their  forts  and  villages, 
laid  waste  their  fields,  burned  their  stores  of 
maize,  killed  many  of  their  warriors,  captured 
eleven  of  them,  and  released  twenty-two  of  the 
Dutch  whom  they  were  holding  captives.  All 
that  led  to  a  truce  the  next  December  and  a 
treaty  of  peace  the  following  May." 


52  ELSIE  ON  THE  EUD80N. 

"Were  the  Huguenots  there  when  all  that 
happened,  grandma?  "  asked  Eric. 

"  No;  as  I  have  told  you,  it  was  the  revocation 
of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  which  drove  them  from 
their  native  land  to  this  foreign  shore,  and  that 
did  not  take  place  until  1685 — more  than 
twenty  years  later." 

"Were  the  Indians  all  gone  from  about 
Kingston  by  that  time,  grandma?  "  asked  Eric. 

"  Oh,  no! "  she  said.  "  They  as  well  as  the 
Tories  gave  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  the  Pa- 
triots during  the  Revolutionary  War — that  hard 
struggle  for  freedom.  At  the  time  of  the  Revo- 
lution the  New  York  Legislature,  then  called 
'  Convention  of  the  Representatives  of  the  State 
of  New  York,'  migrated  from  place  to  place, 
being  compelled  to  do  so  by  the  movements  of 
the  enemy,  and  finally,  in  February,  1777,  took 
up  their  quarters  in  Kingston  until  May  of  that 
year.  They  were  making  a  Constitution  for 
the  State.  It  proved  a  very  excellent  one,  and 
was  adopted.  And  the  first  session  of  the  legis- 
lature of  the  State  was  appointed  to  meet  at 
Kingston  in  July.  So  Kingston  was  the  capi- 
tal of  the  State  when  Sir  Henry  Clinton  took 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  53 

the  forts  in  the  Hudson  Highlands;  and  because 
it  was  the  capital  he  marked  it  out  for  special 
vengeance. 

"  The  British  fleet,  under  Sir  James  Wallace, 
came  up  the  river  with  3600  men  under  the 
command  of  General  Vaughan.  The  order 
given  them  was  to  scatter  desolation  in  their 
track;  and  they  obeyed — destroying  all  vessels 
on  the  river  and  firing  from  the  ships  upon  the 
houses  of  known  Patriots.  Also  small  parties 
landed  and  desolated  whole  neighborhoods  with 
fire  and  sword.  They  landed  near  Kingston  on 
the  13th  of  October  in  two  divisions,  each  tak- 
ing a  different  road  to  the  town,  and  burning 
and  destroying  as  they  went.  They  joined 
upon  a  gentle  eminence  and  marched  into  the 
town, — then  but  a  small  village, — began  set- 
ting the  houses  on  fire,  and  soon  had  almost 
every  one  laid  in  ashes." 

"  Was  Kingston  only  a  very  little  place  then, 
grandma?  "  asked  Eric. 

"  A  town  of  only  three  or  four  thousand  in- 
habitants/' she  replied.  "  Some  of  the  people 
— warned  of  the  approach  of  the  British — had 
succeeded  in  hiding  their  most  valuable  effects, 


54  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

but  others  lost  all  they  had.  A  large  quantity 
of  provisions  and  stores  was  destroyed.  After 
doing  all  that  mischief,  the  British — fearing  the 
American  people  would  gather  together  and 
come  upon  and  punish  them  for  all  this  wanton 
cruelty — hastily  retreated." 

"  Did  it  do  them  any  good  to  burn  down  the 
town,  grandma?  "  asked  Eric  hotly. 

"  No;  there  was  nothing  gained  by  it." 

"  And  as  they  burned  the  town,  there  are  no 
Revolutionary  houses  to  be  seen  there  now,  I 
suppose?  " 

"  A  few  houses  escaped  the  fire,"  she  said. 
"  One  is  the  '  Constitution  House ' — called  so 
because  it  was  there  the  Convention  met  which 
framed  the  Constitution  for  the  government  of 
the  State.  I  think  we  will  visit  it  to-day.  Per- 
haps, too,  the  old  graveyard  where  many  of  the 
Huguenots  lie  buried.  Will  we  not,  captain?  " 
addressing  him  as  he  drew  near  their  little 
group,  as  if  interested  to  learn  what  was  the 
topic  of  her  discourse. 

"We  will  visit  any  spot  that  you  wish 
us  to,  mother/'  he  answered  in  his  pleasant 
tones. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  55 

"Were  you  giving  the  boys  a  history  of 
Kingston?  " 

"  A  slight  sketch,"  she  said;  "  and  they  want 
to  see  the  Constitution  House;  perhaps  the  old 
graveyard  too." 

"  Ah!  I  think  we  will  visit  both;  certainly, 
if  all  our  party  wish  it." 

At  that,  several  of  the  others  gathered  about 
them,  asking  of  what  places  they  were  speaking; 
and,  on  being  told,  they  one  and  all  expressed 
themselves  as  desirous  to  see  everything  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  the  town  to  which 
they  were  going.  So  that  was  what  they  did  on 
their  arrival  at  Kingston.  They  remained 
there  for  some  hours;  then  returned  to  their 
yacht,  and  greatly  enjoyed  the  trip  back  to 
Evelyn's  pretty  cottage,  which  they  reached  in 
time  for  tea. 


CHAPTER  V. 

"  How  many  would  like  to  take  another  trip 
up  or  down  the  river  to-morrow?  "  asked  Cap- 
tain Kaymond,  as  they  sat  together  on  the  front 
porch  after  leaving  the  tea  table. 

"  Every  one  of  us,  I  presume,  captain,"  said 
Grandma  Elsie,  with  a  smiling  glance  from  one 
to  another  of  the  eager,  interested  faces  about 
them. 

"  Oh,  yes;  yes,  indeed,  we  would!  "  exclaimed 
several  voices,  Mrs.  Leland  adding,  "  We  could 
hardly  contrive  a  more  delightful  way  of  spend- 
ing the  time;  there  are  a  number  of  historic 
spots  which  would  be  interesting  ones  to  visit." 

"  Tarrytown  and  the  other  places  connected 
with  Arnold's  treachery,"  suggested  Violet. 

"Fishkill,  too,  is  a  historically  interesting 
place,"  said  her  mother. 

"  West  Point  also,"  remarked  Lucilla.  "  Papa 
took  Max  and  me  there  once,  but  I  should  not 
at  all  object  to  going  again." 

56 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  57 

"I  think  we  can  visit  all  the  places  men- 
tioned within  the  next  few  days,"  said  her 
father;  "and  we  need  not  decide  until  to- 
morrow morning  which  we  will  take  first." 

"In  the  meantime  we  may  talk  the  matter 
over,  I  suppose,  and  see  what  the  majority  is  in 
favor  of?  "  remarked  Lucilla  inquiringly. 

"I  think  that  would  be  a  good  plan,"  said 
her  father.  "  Let  everyone  feel  at  perfect  lib- 
erty to  give  his  or  her  opinion." 

"  I  think  we  could  hardly  find  a  more  inter- 
esting locality  to  visit  than  Fishkill,"  said 
Grandma  Elsie.  "Though  perhaps  a  longer 
sail  may  be  thought  desirable." 

"  We  could  supplement  it  with  as  long  a  one 
as  we  might  find  agreeable,  by  passing  on 
either  up  or  down  the  river,  upon  returning 
from  the  shore  to  the  yacht,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Why,  yes,  so  we  could,"  said  Violet;  "  and 
I  think  it  would  be  very  enjoyable." 
t      "  Papa,  what  is  there  to  see  at  Fishkill?  and 
what    happened   there   in    the   Bevolution?" 
asked  Elsie  Raymond. 

"  Quite  a  good  deal,"  replied  the  captain. 
"  Fishkill  village  lies  five  miles  eastward  from 


58  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

the  landing  of  that  name,  on  a  plain  near  the 
foot  of  the  mountains.  Those  high  mountains 
sheltered  it  from  invasion  in  the  time  of  the 
Kevolution,  and  it  was  chosen  as  a  place  of  safe 
deposit  for  military  stores.  Also  for  the  con- 
finement of  Tory  prisoners  and  others  captured 
by  strategy  or  in  skirmishes  upon  the  neutral 
ground  in  West  Chester.  For  a  while  too  a 
portion  of  the  Continental  Army  was  encamped 
there;  also  the  State  Legislature  met  there  at 
one  time." 

"  Was  the  camp  in  the  town,  papa?  "  asked 
Grace. 

"No;  the  barracks  were  about  half  a  mile 
south  of  the  village.  The  officers  had  their 
quarters  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Wharton,  and  the 
barracks  extended  along  the  road  from  there  to 
the  foot  of  the  mountains." 

"Is  not  that  vicinity  the  scene  of  many  of 
the  incidents  given  in  Cooper's  '  Spy '?  "  asked 
Mr.  Leland. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  captain.  "  Enoch  Crosby 
was  a  spy  who  did  good  service  to  his  country 
in  that  capacity,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  original  of  Cooper's  spy — Harvey  Birch. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  59 

In  the  Wharton  House,  Crosby  at  one  time  went 
through  a  mock  trial  by  the  Committee  of 
Safety,  and  was  then  confined  in  irons  in  the 
old  Dutch  church  in  the  village.  It  was  in  the 
autumn  of  1776  he  began  his  career  as  spy  in 
the  service  of  his  country  by  learning  the  plans 
and  purposes  of  the  Tories  and  revealing  them 
to  hia  Whig  friends.  In  that  neighborhood,  at 
that  time,  secret  foes  were  more  to  be  feared 
than  open  enemies,  but  for  a  long  time  Crosby 
mingled  with  the  Tories,  learning  their  plans 
and  purposes,  without  being  suspected  by  them; 
they  thought  him  as  much  an  enemy  to  his  and 
their  country  as  they  were  themselves.  Lossing 
tells  us  that  while  on  one  of  his  excursions  he 
asked  lodging  for  the  night  of  a  woman  who 
proved  to  be  a  Tory;  and  that  from  her  he 
learned  that  a  company  of  Tories  was  being 
formed  in  the  neighborhood  with  the  intention 
of  marching  to  New  York  and  joining  the  Brit- 
ish Army.  He  seemed  delighted  with  the  idea 
and  most  anxious  to  join  the  company.  He 
gained  the  confidence  of  its  captain  and  learned 
all  his  plans.  It  seems  that  after  their  talk  they 
retired  to  bed;  but  Crosby  did  not  immediately 


60  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

fall  asleep.  When  all  had  grown  quiet,  so  that 
there  was  reason  to  suppose  everyone  else  was 
asleep,  he  rose  and  stealthily  left  the  house, 
hastened  to  White  Plains,  where  lived  the  Com- 
mittee of  Safety,  and  told  them  what  he  had 
just  learned  of  tke  plans  of  the  Tories.  He  also 
suggested  that  they  should  hold  a  meeting  the 
following  evening  and  send  a  band  of  Whigs  to 
arrest  the  Tories  and  himself  as  though  believ- 
ing him  to  be  one  of  them.  That  plan  was 
carried  out;  they  were  all  made  prisoners,  taken 
to  Fishkill,  and  confined  in  the  old  stone 
church.  I  believe/  that  church  is  one  of  the 
relics  of  the  Eevolution  which  yet  remain. 

"When  the  arrested  men  were  taken  there 
the  Committee  of  Safety  was  already  at  the 
Wharton  House  prepared  to  try  them.  They 
held  an  examination  of  the  prisoners  after 
which  they — Crosby  among  the  rest — were  sent 
back  to  their  prison.  Seemingly  by  accident, 
he  was  left  alone  with  the  Committee  for  a  few 
minutes  and  the  plan  was  concerted  by  which 
he  might  escape. 

"  At  the  northwest  corner  of  the  church  was 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  61 

a  window  hidden  by  a  willow.  He  reached  the 
ground  through  that,  got  rid  of  his  loose  man- 
acles, sprang  out  of  his  concealment,  and  rushed 
away  past  the  sentinels  with  the  speed  of  a  deer. 
The  sentinels  fired  a  few  shots  after  him,  but 
t  missed  him  in  the  gloom;  and  he  escaped  un- 
hurt to  a  swamp." 

"  Oh,  that  was  good!  "  cried  Eric.  "  Did  he 
have  any  more  such  escapes,  uncle?  " 

"Yes;  twice  after  that  he  was  made  a  pris- 
oner with  Tories,  but  managed  to  escape  each 
time.  At  one  time  Colonel  Van  Cortlandt  was 
stationed  with  a  detachment  of  troops  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Hudson,  to  watch  what  was 
going  on  upon  the  Neutral  Ground.  One  day 
Crosby  was  with  a  part  of  that  detachment  near 
Teller's  Point  and  the  mouth  of  the  Croton 
Eiver,  when  they  saw  a  British  sloop  of  war 
come  sailing  up  the  stream.  It  cast  anchor  in 
the  channel  opposite.  Crosby  and  six  others 
then  went  to  the  Point,  where  all  but  one  con- 
cealed themselves  in  the  bushes,  while  the 
other,  dressed  in  infantry  uniform,  paraded 
the  beach.  Of  course  the  officers  on  the  sloop 
eoon  saw  and  determined  to  capture  him.  They 


•3  BL8IE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

promptly  sent  a  boat  with  eleven  men  to  take 
him.  But  as  the  British  landed  the  American 
ran.  They  pursued,  not  thinking  of  any  dan- 
ger. Then  Crosby  and  his  companions  began 
making  a  noise  in  the  bushes  that  made  it  seem 
as  though  they  were  half  a  regiment;  then  they 
rushed  out  and  called  on  the  enemy  to  surren- 
der— which  they  did  without  firing  a  shot. 
The  next  day  the  stone  church  at  Fishkill  held 
them  as  prisoners." 

"I  suppose  Crosby  was  a  born  American, 
uncle?  "  Eric  said  inquiringly. 

"  Yes;  born  in  Massachusetts  early  in  Janu- 
ary, 1750." 

"  That  would  make  him  twenty-five  a  few 
months  before  the  war  began.  But  he  did  not 
live  in  Massachusetts?  " 

"  No;  his  parents  moved  to  New  York  while 
he  was  still  an  infant.  When  he  grew  up  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker;  but  when  the 
war  broke  out  he  gave  up  his  trade  and  shoul- 
dered a  musket.  He  was  living  at  Danbury 
then,  and  was  one  of  the  hundred  men  who  in 
1775  marched  to  Lake  Champlain  and  fought 
battles  in  that  quarter  until  Quebec  waa 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  63 

stormed.  It  was  after  his  return  from  that 
expedition  that  he  engaged  in  the  secret 
service." 

"  Being  a  spy?  "  queried  Neddie. 

"Yes;  but  at  length  finding  that  his  many 
escapes  after  being  taken  prisoner  by  the  Whigs 
had  excited  the  suspicions  of  the  Tories,  he 
gave  up  that  work  and  joined  a  detachment  of 
the  Continental  Army  then  stationed  in  the 
Highlands." 

"I  hope  he  didn't  get  killed,  papa?"  said 
Little  Elsie. 

"  No;  he  lived  through  the  war,  and  for  many 
years  afterward.  In  1827  he  was  in  New  York 
City  as  witness  at  a  trial  in  court,  and  an  aid 
gentleman  who  knew  him  introduced  him  to 
the  audience  as  the  original  of  Harvey  Birch — 
Cooper's  spy.  That  story  had  been  turned  into 
a  play,  and  was  then  being  performed  at  one  of 
the  theatres.  Notice  was  given  that  Crosby  had 
accepted  an  invitation  to  attend  the  play,  and 
the  house  was  crowded  with  an  audience  who 
warmly  greeted  the  old  soldier." 

"I'm  glad  they  did,"  said  Elsie.  "It  must 
have  been  pleasant  for  him,  and  I'm  sure  he 


64  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

deserved  it;  for  he  had  helped  a  great  deal  to 
get  us  all  free.  Papa,  haven't  we  just  the  very 
best  country  in  all  the  world?  " 

"  So  I  think/'  her  father  answered  with  a 
smile;  adding,  "  and  that  being  the  case  we 
ought  to  be  the  best  people  in  all  the  world. 
Don't  you  think  so,  daughter?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  papa;  and  I  mean  to  try." 

"  Why  not  go  to  Fishkill  to-morrow?  "  asked 
Sydney. 

"  All  in  favor  of  so  doing  may  say  aye,"  said 
the  captain,  glancing  around  upon  the  small 
crowd  of  hearers,  big  and  little. 

"Aye!  "  exclaimed  every  voice,  and  that  was 
followed  by  a  ripple  of  laughter.  As  that  died 
down,  "  We  seem  to  be  of  one  mind,"  re- 
marked the  captain  pleasantly.  "  Well,  the 
yacht  will  be  ready  to  start  immediately  after 
breakfast,  if  the  weather  is  pleasant.  We  would 
hardly  wish  to  go  in  a  storm." 

"Oh,  no!"  exclaimed  several  voices;  "espe- 
cially as  we  have  plenty  of  time  to  wait  for  a 
pleasant  day." 

"  Yes,"  the  captain  said;  "  but  there  is  every 
indication  that  we  will  not  have  to  do  so — that 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  65 

to-morrow  will  prove  as  fine  a  day  as  we  could 
wish;  and  I  suggest  that  our  young  people — and 
all  older  ones  who  desire  plenty  of  sleep — 
should  retire  pretty  soon;  for  we  will  need  to 
rise  early  if  we  want  abundance  of  time  for  our 
expedition.  The  trip  on  the  river  will  be  short* 
but  we  will  probably  want  to  spend  at  least  half 
the  day  on  shore." 

Everyone  followed  the  captain's  good  adviee; 
they  were  all  up  early  next  morning  and  ready 
to  start  on  their  proposed  trip  in  good  season. 

The  weather  proved  pleasant,  no  accident  be- 
fell any  of  them,  and  all  enjoyed  very  thor- 
oughly their  visit  to  Fishkill  and  its  vicinity. 
They  visited  the  Verplanck  House — interesting 
as  having  been  the  headquarters  of  Baron  Steu- 
ben  when  the  American  Army  was  encamped 
near  Newburgh,  and  also  as  the  place  where  the 
celebrated  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  was  organ- 
ized in  1783. 

"Won't  you  please  tell  us  something  about 
Baron  Steuben,  papa?"  asked  Elsie  Kaymond 
as  they  were  returning  from  their  visit  to  the 
Verplanck  House. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  captain.      "  He  was  a 


C6  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

German  soldier,  born  in  Magdeburg,  Prussia. 
His  full  name  was  Frederick  William  Augustus 
Henry  Ferdinand  von  Steuben.  His  father  was 
a  captain  in  the  army,  and  he  became  a  soldier 
when  a  mere  lad.  He  saw  and  took  part  in  a 
great  deal  of  fighting,  and  in  1762  was  made 
^ide  to  Frederick  the  Great.  He  took  part  in 
the  siege  of  Schweidnitz,  and  that  closed  his 
military  career  in  his  own  land.  He  retired 
from  the  army,  and  was  living  most  comfortably 
on  a  salary,  while  we  were  struggling  for  our 
rfreedom.  In  December,  1777,  he  went  to 
Paris,  on  his  way  to  visit  some  English  noble- 
men who  were  friends  of  his.  In  Paris  he  met 
the  French  minister  of  war,  who  seems  to  have 
been  a  good  friend  to  America,  for,  knowing 
that  the  great  weakness  of  our  army  lay  in  the 
fact  that  the  men  lacked  discipline  and  knew 
little  or  nothing  of  military  tactics,  he  tried  to 
persuade  Steuben  to  come  to  this  country  and 
teach  them. 

"But  very  naturally  the  baron  was  not  willing 
to  sacrifice  his  income  and  his  honors  in  order 
to  help  a  cause  that  seemed  so  desperate.  Yet 
at  length  he  yielded  to  Germain's  solicitation 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  67 

and  promises,  and  decided  to  come  to  the  help 
of  the  struggling  Colonies.  He  came  over  on 
a  French  gunboat;  having  a  long  stormy  passage 
of  fifty-five  days,  the  vessel  taking  fire  three 
times — a  very  hazardous  thing,  as  there  were 
1700  pounds  of  powder  on  board.  Also  there 
was  an  attempt  to  mutiny.  However,  he  finally 
arrived  safely  at  Portsmouth,  N".  H.  He  had  a 
warm  welcome  there,  the  whole  population 
going  out  to  receive  him." 

"  And  did  he  go  right  into  our  army,  papa?  " 
asked  Elsie. 

"He  wrote  at  once  to  Congress  offering  his 
services  to  the  Colonies,  saying  he  had  come  to 
this  country  because  he  would  serve  a  nation 
engaged  in  the  noble  work  of  defending  its 
rights  and  liberties,  adding  that  although  he 
had  given  up  an  honorable  title  and  lucrative 
rank,  he  asked  neither  riches  nor  honors.  He 
called  upon  Congress,  and  told  them  he  would 
enter  the  army  as  a  volunteer;  if  his  services 
were  not  satisfactory,  or  if  the  Colonies  failed 
to  establish  their  independence,  he  was  to  re- 
ceive nothing;  but  if  they  were  successful,  and 
he  remained  in  the  army,  he  expected  to  be  re- 


68  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

funded  the  income  he  had  given  up,  and  remu- 
nerated for  his  services." 

"  That  was  a  good  offer,"  remarked  Eric.  "  I 
suppose  they  accepted  it?  " 

"  They  did,"  replied  his  uncle;  "  and  Steu- 
ben  went  to  Valley  Forge,  where  Washington 
and  his  army  were  encamped  at  that  time. 
When  he  saw  our  half-starved,  poorly  clad  sol- 
diers come  creeping  out  of  their  huts  he  was 
astounded,  and  said  '  No  European  army  could 
be  kept  together  a  week  in  such  a  state/  But 
he  began  his  work  at  once.  He  did  a  great 
work;  probably  we  could  never  have  won  our 
independence  without  the  help  he  gave  us  in 
training  our  soldiers  for  the  hard  struggle 
necessary  to  win  it.  The  fine  effect  of  that 
discipline  was  seen  in  the  Battle  of  Monmouth, 
when  Baron  Steuben  rallied  the  retreating  and 
disordered  troops  of  Charles  Lee  like  veterans." 

"  Did  he  stay  in  this  country  till  the  war  was 
over,  papa?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"Yes;  and  as  long  as  he  lived.  He  made 
New  York  City  his  home  for  several  years.  I 
am  ashamed  to  say  that  Congress  refused  to 
fulfil  its  contract  with  him  to  pay  him  for  his 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  «9 

services,  but  he  was  given  grants  of  land  in 
New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia*  The 
first  he  declined  to  take  when  he  learned  that 
it  was  the  estate  of  an  old  Tory  who  would  be 
left  destitute,  and  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart 
he  interceded  for  him.  Steuben  was  very  kind- 
hearted  and  generous.  Lossing  gives  us  some 
anecdotes  illustrative  of  that.  He  says  that  in 
Newburgh,  at  the  time  of  the  disbanding  of  the 
army,  Colonel  Cochran  was  standing  in  the 
street  penniless,  when  Steuben  tried  to  com- 
fort him  by  saying  that  better  times  would 
come. 

" { For  myself/  replied  the  brave  officer,  '  I 
can  stand  it;  but  my  wife  and  daughters  are  in 
the  garret  of  that  wretched  tavern;  and  I  have 
nowhere  to  carry  them,  nor  even  money  to  re- 
move them.'  As  Lossing  says,  '  The  baron's 
generous  heart  was  touched,  and,  though  poor 
himself,  he  hastened  to  the  family  of  Cochran, 
poured  the  whole  contents  of  his  purse  upon 
the  table,  and  left  as  suddenly  as  he  had  en- 
tered.' 

"As  he  was  walking  toward  the  wharf  a 
wounded  negro  soldier  came  up  to  him  bitterly 


70  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

lamenting  that  he  had  no  means  with  which  to 
get  to  New  York.  The  baron  borrowed  a  dol- 
lar, handed  it  to  the  negro,  hailed  a  sloop,  and 
put  him  on  board.  f  God  Almighty  bless  you, 
baron! '  said  the  negro  as  Steuben  walked  away. 
Many  such  stories  could  be  told  of  the  kind- 
hearted  baron." 

"  What  a  shame  that  Congress  did  not  keep 
the  promise  it  made  him  when  he  first  came 
over  here! "  exclaimed  Lucilla. 

"Yes;  it  was  a  great  shame,"  acknowledged 
her  father;  "  however,  after  seven  years  of  delay 
they  allowed  him  a  pension  of  $2400.  Then  he 
retired  to  his  land;  he  had  a  whole  township 
near  Utica,  N.  Y.  He  cleared  sixty  acres  of 
that,  built  a  loghouse  upon  it,  and  made  his 
home  there  for  the  rest  of  his  life;  though  he 
went  to  New  York  every  winter.  On  the  22d 
of  November,  1795,  he  was  making  preparation 
for  that  yearly  visit,  when  he  was  stricken  with 
paralysis.  Three  days  afterward  he  died.  In 
accordance  with  directions  which  he  had  given, 
he  was  buried  near  his  house,  with  his  military 
cloak  around  him  and  the  star  of  honor  that 
he  always  wore  on  his  breast." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  ?1 

"Ah,  the  dear,  good  man!  I  hope  he  is 
reaping  a  great  reward  in  the  other  world,"  said 
Sydney. 

"  A  wish  which  I  think  we  can  all  echo  from 
our  hearts,"  responded  Grandma  Elsie. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  WE  have  had  a  nice  day — a  very  nice  one, 
I  think/'  remarked  Elsie  Kaymond,  as  they  sat 
on  the  deck  of  the  Dolphin  pursuing  their 
homeward  way. 

"  Where  are  you  going  to  take  us  to-morrow, 
papa?  " 

"  That  is  a  question  for  the  majority  of  the 
older  people  to  decide,"  replied  the  captain, 
softly  stroking  her  curls — for  she  was  seated 
upon  his  knee — and  smiling  down  affectionately 
into  her  eyes, 

"That  means  grandma  and  mamma,  and 
uncle  and  aunt,  I  suppose/"'  said  the  little  girl, 
looking  round  inquiringly  upon  them.  "  Please, 
dear,  good  folks,  won't  you  all  say  what  you 
want?  " 

"I  think  we  would  all  be  satisfied  to  go  to  any 
one  of  the  many  interesting  spots  on  the  banks 
of  this  beautiful  river,"  replied  Grandma  Elsie. 

"  As  I  do,"  said  Mrs.  Leland,  "  but,  since  a 
choice  has  to  be  made,  I  propose  that — if  no  one 

72 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  73 

prefers  any  other  place — we  go  to  West  Point 
to-morrow." 

That  motion  was  put  to  vote,  and  the  deci- 
sion given  in  its  favor  was  unanimous. 

"Thinking  of  going  there  reminds  me  of 
Arnold  and  his  treachery/'  remarked  Lucilla. 
"  Can't  we  go  and  see  the  Eobinson  House,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  papa?  " 

"I  don't  know  that  visitors  are  admitted  to 
the  mansion  now,  but  we  can  drive  past  and 
view  the  outside  and  the  grounds,"  replied  the 
captain.  "  The  house  is  now  called  Beverly, 
the  dock  from  which  Arnold  made  his  escape 
Beverly  Dock." 

"  He  got  into  a  boat,  papa?  "  asked  Neddie. 

"  Yes;  into  his  barge,  which  conveyed  him  to 
the  British  ship  Vulture." 

"  Oh,  can't  you  tell  us  the  whole  story  of  it 
now,  papa,  and  let  us  go  to  the  place  to- 
morrow? " 

"  That  might  be  possible,"  returned  the  cap- 
tain, "  if  no  one  objects  to  hearing  a  rehearsal 
of  the  old  story." 

No  one  had  any  objection,  and  the  captain 
proceeded  with  the  narrative. 


H  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

"  Arnold  was  a  brave,  daring,  and  successful 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War;  one  who  did 
and  suffered  a  great  deal  to  win  his  country's 
freedom,  and  perhaps  if  he  had  been  treated 
with  perfect  justice  he  might  never  have  turned 
traitor.  He  was  badly  treated  by  Congress  and 
by  Gates.  After  that  he  got  into  serious  trouble 
through  his  own  reckless  extravagance.  He 
was  deeply  in  debt  and  ready  'to  do  almost  any- 
thing for  money.  He  had  married  into  a  Tory 
family,  too,  and  perhaps  they  had  an  influence 
in  lessening  his  love  for  the  cause  of  freedom 
and  making  him  willing  to  betray  his  country 
for  the  money  he  coveted — for  filthy  lucre.  He 
learned  that  Sir  Henry  Clinton  so  coveted  West 
Point  that  almost  any  sum  of  money  and  any 
honors  would  be  given  the  man  who  should 
enable  the  British  to  get  possession  of  that  post. 
He  pondered  the  matter,  and  resolved  to  do  the 
dastardly  deed  if  possible.  He  had  been  de- 
clining active  service  on  the  plea  that  hia 
wounds  rendered  him  unfit  for  riding  on  horse- 
back. But  now  his  wounds  healed  rapidly,  his 
patriotism  was  freshly  aroused,  and  he  was 
eager  to  again  serve  his  bleeding  country. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  75 

"  It  was  in  that  way  he  talked  to  his  friends 
in  Congress, — General  Schuyler  and  others, — 
men  who,  he  knew,  had  influence  with  "Wash- 
ington. He  also  prevailed  upon  Eobert  K. 
Livingston — a  member  of  Congress — to  write 
to  Washington  and  suggest  th~  giving  of  the 
command  of  West  Point  to  Arnold. 

"  Then,  under  the  pretence  of  having  private 
business  in  Connecticut,  he  went  there,  passing 
through  the  camp  and  paying  his  respects  to 
Washington  on  the  way.  But  he  said  nothing 
about  his  wish  to  be  appointed  to  the  command 
at  West  Point  until  he  again  called  on  his  re- 
turn; then  he  suggested  to  Washington  that  on 
rejoining  the  army  he  would  like  that  post,  as 
suited  to  his  feelings  and  the  state  of  his 
health. 

"Washington  was  surprised,  but  his  suspi- 
cions were  not  aroused.  So  Arnold  got  com- 
mand of  that  post  with  all  its  dependencies; 
that  is,  including  everything  from  Peekskill 
to  Kings  Ferry.  His  instructions  were  dated 
at  Peekskill  on  the  3d  of  August,  1780.  He 
went  at  once  to  the  Highlands  and  established 
his  quarters  at  Colonel  Robinson's  house. 


76  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"At  this  time  Arnold  had  been  in  correspond- 
ence with  Sir  Henry  Clinton  for  eighteen 
months.  Both  wrote  over  fictitious  names,  and 
Clinton  did  not  know  who  his  correspondent 
was;  at  least,  for  a  great  part  of  the  time  he  was 
ignorant  of  his  name  and  character,  the  letters 
passing  through  the  hands  of  Major  Andre. 
During  the  previous  winter  Arnold  had  had 
some  connection  with  a  British  spy — Lieuten- 
ant Hele — in  Philadelphia,  where  he  had  been 
sent  with  a  pretended  flag  of  truce  in  a  vessel 
afterward  wrecked  in  the  Delaware,  when  he — 
Hele — was  made  prisoner  by  Congress." 

"I  think  there  was  something  known  of 
Arnold's  plot  in  England  at  that  time;  was 
there  not,  captain?  "  asked  Mr.  Leland. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Captain  Eaymond;  "  and 
great  hopes  were  built  upon  it  long  before  it 
was  to  take  place.  Some  of  the  officers  who  re- 
turned to  England  in  1780  were  often  heard  to 
declare  that  it  was  all  over  with  the  rebels;  that 
they  were  about  to  receive  an  irreparable  blow 
the  news  of  which  would  soon  arrive.  But  they 
had  no  more  to  say  on  the  subject  after  the  ac- 
count was  received  of  the  plot  and  the  discovery 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  Y7 

of  the  traitor.  To  resume:  Arnold  wrote  his 
letters  in  a  disguised  hand  and  ambiguous  style, 
affixing  to  them  the  feigned  signature  of 
'  Gustavus/  Andre  signed  his  '  John  An- 
derson.' >: 

"  He  wasn't  so  bad  a  man  as  Arnold,  was  he, 
uncle?  "  asked  Eric. 

"  I  think  not,  by  any  means,"  replied  Captain 
Raymond.  "  He  was  a  fine  young  man  who 
enjoyed  the  unbounded  confidence  of  Sir  Henry 
Clinton.  He  had  been  an  aide-de-camp  of  the 
Commander-in-chief,  and  was  now  adjutant-gen- 
eral of  the  British  Army. 

"  Before  Arnold's  trial  by  a  court-martial 
Clinton  had  come  to  the  belief  that  he  was  his 
correspondent.  That  trial  made  him  seem  of 
less  value;  but  when  he  got  command  of  West 
Point  his  traitorous  advances  to  his  country's 
foes  assumed  increased  importance.  So  their 
plans  were  made.  Clinton  was  to  send  a  strong 
force  up  the  Hudson  at  the  moment  when  the 
combined  American  and  French  forces  should 
make  an  expected  movement  against  New  York. 
That  last  was  one  of  Washington's  plans  which 
Arnold  had  revealed  to  the  British  general.  It 


78  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

was  thought  that  West  Point  would  be  the  re- 
pository of  the  ammunition  and  other  stores  of 
the  allied  armies.  It  was  reported  that  the 
French  were  to  land  on  Long  Island,  and  from 
there  march  against  New  York,  while  Washing- 
ton would  approach  it  from  the  north  with  the 
main  army  of  the  Americans;  and  the  plan  of 
the  enemy  was  to  send  up  the  river  at  that  pre- 
cise time  a  flotilla  bearing  a  strong  land  force. 
When  they  reached  West  Point,  Arnold  was  to 
surrender  to  them  under  pretence  of  a  weak 
garrison. 

"  With  the  view  of  carrying  out  that  plan,  the 
British  troops  were  so  posted  that  they  could  be 
put  in  motion  on  very  short  notice,  while  ves- 
sels, properly  manned,  were  kept  in  readiness  on 
the  Hudson. 

"  But  now  Clinton  felt  it  necessary  to  make 
certain  of  the  identity  of  his  correspondent;  so 
ihie  proposed  a  personal  conference,  and  Arnold 
insisted  that  Major  Andre  should  be  the  one 
sent.  Clinton  had  already  fixed  upon  Andre  as 
the  most  suitable  person  to  whom  to  intrust 
that  important  mission,  and  so  sent  him.  I  do 
not  know  that  Andre  went  unwillingly,  but  he 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  19 

did  not  seek  the  service,  though  once  engaged 
in  it  he  did  his  best. 

"  The  love  of  money  seems  to  have  been  Ar- 
nold's greatest  temptation  to  the  treachery  of 
which  he  was  guilty.  His  first  plan  was  to  have 
the  interview  with  Andre  at  his  own  quarters 
in  the  Highlands,  Andre  to  be  represented  as  a 
person  entirely  devoted  to  the  American  cause 
and  possessing  ample  means  for  gaining  intelli- 
gence from  the  enemy.  As  secret  agents  were 
frequently  employed  to  procure  intelligence, 
this  was  safe  ground  to  go  upon.  He  sent  a 
letter  to  Andre  telling  him  of  this  arrangement, 
and  assuring  him  that  if  he  could  make  his  way 
safely  to  the  American  outpost  above  White 
Plains,  he  would  find  no  difficulty  after 
that. 

"  On  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  at  that  time 
was  a  detachment  of  cavalry  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Sheldon,  who  had  his  head- 
quarters, with  a  part  of  his  detachment,  at 
Salem.  Arnold  gave  him  notice  that  he  was 
expecting  a  person  from  New  York  whom  he 
was  to  meet  at  his  quarters  for  the  purpose  of 
making  important  arrangements  for  obtaining 


80  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

early  intelligence  from  the  enemy.  Also  he 
asked  Sheldon  to  send  him  word  to  the  Kobin- 
aon  House  when  this  stranger  arrived. 

"  But  the  arrangement  was  distasteful  to 
.Andre,  who  had  no  disposition  to  act  as  a  spy. 
He  therefore  wrote  a  letter  to  Colonel  Sheldon, 
knowing  that  it  would  be  put  into  Arnold's 
liands.  He  proposed  a  meeting  with  Arnold  at 
Dobbs  Ferry,  upon  the  Neutral  Ground,  on  the 
next  Monday,  the  llth  instant. 

"That  tetter  puzzled  Colonel  Sheldon,  be- 
cause he  had  never  before  heard  the  name  of 
John  Anderson,  or  anything  from  Arnold  about 
expecting  an  escort.  But  he  supposed  it  was 
from  the  person  expected  by  the  general,  there- 
fore enclosed  it  to  him,  writing  at  the  same 
time  that  he  himself  was  not  well  enough  to  go 
to  Dobbs  Ferry,  and  hoped  that  he  would  meet 
Anderson  there  himself.  It  was  somewhat 
difficult  for  Arnold  to  explain  matters  to  Shel- 
don so  that  his  suspicions  should  not  be  ex- 
cited, but  he  seems  to  have  been  skilful  in  de- 
ception, and  managed  to  do  go.  He  left  his 
quarters  on  the  10th,  went  down  the  river  in 
his  barge  to  King's  Ferry,  and  passed  the  night 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  81 

at  the  house  of  Joshua  He.tt  Smith,  neax  Haver- 
straw." 

"  That  Smith  was  a  traitor  too,  vra&  he  not, 
captain?  "  asked  Evelyn. 

"  Probably;  though  there  is  a  difference  of 
opinion  on  that  point;  he  acted  a  part  in  the 
work  of  treason,  but  was  perhaps  only  Arnold's 
dupe.  Early  the  next  morning  Arnold  pro- 
ceeded toward  Dobbs  Ferry,  where  Andre  and 
Colonel  Robinson  were  waiting  to  meet  him,  but 
as  he  drew  near  he  was  fired  upon  and  closely 
pursued  by  the  British  gunboats.  That,  of 
course,  made  it  necessary  to  defer  the  con- 
ference. 

"  Having  gone  down  the  river  openly,  Arnold 
thought  it  necessary  to  make  some  explanation 
to  "Washington,  so  wrote  him  a  letter  in  which 
he  mentioned  several  important  matters  con- 
nected with  his  command  at  West  Point  and  in- 
cidentally referred  to  having  come  down  the 
river  to  establish  signals  as  near  the  enemy's 
lines  as  possible,  that  he  might  receive  prompt 
notice  of.  any  fleet  or  troops  coming  up  the 
Hudson. 

"  This  letter  was  dated  at  Dobbs  Ferry,  Sep- 


82  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

tember  llth,  and  that  night  he  returned  to 
his  quarters  at  the  Kobinson  House.  He  de- 
sired to  have  his  interview  with  Andre  as 
speedily  as  possible,  because  he  knew  that 
Washington  was  going  to  Hartford  to  hold  a 
conference  with  the  newly  arrived  French  offi- 
cers, and  that  the  best  time  to  carry  out  his 
plans  for  betraying  his  country  would  be  in  the 
absence  of  the  commander-in-chief.  And  as 
Washington  would  cross  the  Hudson  at  King's 
Ferry,  it  was  very  necessary  that  until  his  de- 
parture no  movement  should  be  made  that 
might  excite  his  suspicion. 

"  Two  days  after  Arnold  had  returned  to  his 
quarters  he  wrote  again  to  Andre  telling  him 
that  a  person  would  meet  him  on  the  west  side 
of  Dobbs  Ferry  on  Wednesday,  the  20th  inst., 
and  conduct  him  to  a  place  of  safety  where  the 
writer  would  meet  him.  '  It  will  be  necessary/ 
he  added,  '  for  you  to  be  in  disguise.  I  cannot 
be  more  explicit  at  present.  Meet  me  if  pos- 
sible. You  may  rest  assured  that  if  there  is 
no  danger  in  passing  your  lines,  you  will  be 
perfectly  safe  where  I  propose  a  meeting/ 

"Arnold  also  wrote  to  Major  Tallmadge,  at 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  83 

North  Castle,  instructing  him  that  if  a  person 
named  John  Anderson  should  arrive  at  hia 
station,  to  send  him  on  without  delay  to 
headquarters  under  the  escort  of  two  dra- 
goons. 

"  The  house  in  which  Arnold  was  living  at 
that  time  had  heen  the  property  of  Colonel 
Eobinson,  but  was  confiscated  because  he  had 
become  a  Tory.  The  two  had  been  correspond- 
ing for  some  time  under  the  pretence  that  Eob- 
inson was  trying  to  recover  the  property 
through  Arnold.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  had  sent 
Eobinson  up  the  river  on  board  the  Vulture 
with  orders  to  proceed  as  high  as  Teller's  Point. 
It  is  probable  that  Eobinson  knew  all  about 
Arnold's  treasonable  plans  and  purposes.  He 
now  wrote  a  letter  to  General  Putnam  asking 
for  an  interview  with  him  on  the  subject  of  his 
property,  and,  pretending  that  he  did  not  know 
where  Putnam  was,  he  enclosed  his  letter  to 
him  in  one  addressed  to  Arnold,  requesting  him 
to  hand  the  enclosed  to  Putnam,  or,  if  that 
officer  had  gone  away,  to  return  it  by  the  bearer, 
adding  *  In  case  General  Putnam  should  be  ab- 
sent, I  am  persuaded,  from  the  humane  and 


84  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

generous   character   you   bear,   that  you 
grant  me  the  f  avor  asked/ 

"  The  Vulture  was  then  lying  six  miles  be- 
low Verplanck's  Point,  and  the  letters  were 
sent  to  the  Point  under  a  flag  of  truce.  Arnold 
went  down  to  that  point  some  hours  before 
Washington  was  to  arrive  there  on  his  way  to 
Hartford,  and  received  and  read  Colonel  Eobin- 
son's  letter.  Arnold  took  Washington  and  his 
suite  across  the  river  in  his  barge  and  accom- 
panied them  to  Peekskill.  He  laid  Eobinson's 
letter  before  Washington  and  asked  his  advice, 
Washington  replied  that  the  civil  authority 
alone  could  act  in  the  matter,  and  he  did  not 
approve  of  a  personal  interview  with  Eobinson. 
Arnold's  frankness  in  all  this  effectually  pre- 
vented any  suspicion  of  his  integrity  as  com- 
mandant of  West  Point. 

"  After  receiving  Washington's  opinion  in  re- 
gard to  the  matter  Arnold  dared  not  meet 
Eobinson;  but  he  wrote  to  him,  and  in  that 
letter  told  him  that  on  the  night  of  the  20th 
he  should  send  a  person  on  board  of  the  Vulture 
who  would  be  furnished  with  a  boat  and  a  flag 
of  truce,  and  in  the  postscript  he  added,  '  I  ex.- 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  85 

pect  General  Washington  to  lodge  here  on  Sun- 
day next,  and  I  will  lay  before  him  any  matter 
you  may  wish  to  communicate.'  It  was  an  in- 
genious and  safe  way  of  informing  the  enemy 
just  when  the  commander-m-chief  would  re- 
turn from  Hartford/' 

"  That  looked  as  though  he  wanted  to  put 
Washington  in  peril/'  said  Lucilla. 

"I  think  it  did,"  said  her  father.  "That 
letter  was  sent  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  and  the 
next  morning  Andre  went  to  Dobbs  Ferry. 
Clinton  had  given  him  positive  instructions  not 
to  change  his  dress,  not  to  go  into  the  American 
lines,  not  to  receive  papers,  or  in  any  other  way 
act  the  character  of  a  spy. 

"  It  was  expected  that  Arnold  would  visit  the 
Vulture,  and  there  hold  his  interview  with 
Andre.  But  Arnold  had  arranged  a  plan  which 
would  be  safer  for  himself,  though  a  greater 
risk  for  Andre. 

"  About  two  miles  below  Stony  Point  lived  a 
man  named  Joshua  Hett  Smith,  who  had  been 
employed  by  General  Eobert  Howe,  when  in 
command  of  West  Point,  to  procure  intelli- 
gence from  New  York.  Which — as  Howe 


86  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON'. 

was  a  loyal  American  officer — would  seem 
to  be  good  reason  for  supposing  that  Smith  was 
esteemed  a  patriotic  citizen.  Lossing  tells  us 
that  Smith  occupied  a  respectable  station  in 
society,  and  could  command  more  valuable  aid 
in  the  business  in  question  than  any  other  per- 
son. Arnold  went  to  him  and  told  him  he 
wanted  his  services  in  bringing  within  the 
American  lines  a  person  of  consequence  with 
valuable  intelligence  from  New  York.  It 
would  seem  that  Arnold  had  resolved  not  to  ad- 
venture himself  on  the  British  ship,  but  to  have 
Andre  take  the  risk  of  coming  on  shore  that 
they  might  hold  their  contemplated  interview. 
Arnold  seems  to  have  expected  it  to  prove  a 
protracted  interview,  and  arranged  with  Smith 
to  have  it  take  place  partly  in  his  house.  There- 
fore Smith  took  his  family  to  Fishkill  to  visit 
friends,  and  on  his  return  trip  stopped  at  the 
Eobinson  house  and  with  Arnold  arranged  the 
plan  for  getting  Andre  on  shore  for  the  desired 
interview. 

"  Arnold  gave  Smith  the  usual  pass  for  a  flag 
of  truce,  and  an  order  on  Major  Kierse  at  Stony 
Point  to  furnish  him  with  a  boat  whenever  he 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  87    \ 

should  want  one,  and  he  directed  Smith  to  go 
to  the  Vulture  the  next  night  and  bring  ashore 
the  person  who  was  expected  to  be  there. 

"  Smith  did  not  succeed  in  getting  such 
assistance  as  he  needed  in  boatmen,  so  failed  to 
visit  the  Vulture  at  the  appointed  time.  He 
sent  a  messenger  to  Arnold  with  a  letter  telling 
of  his  failure.  The  messenger  rode  all  night 
and  reached  the  Eobinson  House  at  dawn. 

"  Having  received  the  message,  Arnold  went 
down  the  river  to  Verplanck's  Point  and  from 
there  to  Smith's. 

"At  the  Point,  Colonel  Livingston  handed 
him  a  letter  just  received  from  Captain  Suther- 
land of  the  Vulture.  It  was  a  complaint  that 
some  one  of  the  Americans  had  violated  the 
rules  of  war — showing  a  flag  of  truce  on  Teller's 
Point,  and  when  in  response  a  boat  with  an- 
other flag  was  sent  off,  as  soon  as  it  neared  the 
shore  it  was  fired  upon  by  some  armed  men  who 
were  concealed  in  the  bushes. 

"  The  letter  was  signed  by  Sutherland,  but 
was  in  the  handwriting  of  Andre.  Arnold  at 
once  understood  that  the  sight  of  that  hand- 
writing was  meant  to  inform  him  that  Andre 


88  BL81E  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

was  on  board  of  the  vessel,  and,  perceiving  that, 
he  set  to  work  making  arrangements  to  bring 
him  ashore.  He  ordered  a  skiff  to  be  sent  to  a 
certain  place  in  Haverstraw  Creek,  then  went 
to  Smith's  house.  They  soon  had  everything 
ready  except  the  boatmen  to  row  the  skiff. 
Samuel  and  Joseph  Colquhon  were  asked  to 
serve,  but  refused  until  Arnold  threatened  them 
with  punishment,  when  they  yielded. 

"It  was  near  midnight  when  at  last  they 
pushed  off  from  the  shore,  and  so  still  that  not 
a  leaf  stirred  in  the  forests,  and  there  was  not 
a  ripple  on  the  water.  When  they  neared  the 
ship  they  were  hailed  by  the  sentinel  on  its 
deck.  Smith  gave  some  explanation  of  their 
errand,  and  after  some  rough  words  was  allowed 
to  go  on  board.  He  found  Captain  Sutherland 
and  Beverly  Eobinson  in  the  cabin.  He  had  a 
missive  for  the  latter  from  Arnold,  but  though 
addressed  to  Eobinson  its  contents  were  evi- 
dently meant  for  Andre — inviting  him  to  come 
ashore  and  assuring  him  of  safety  in  so  doing. 
Robinson  understood  it  and,  I  presume,  ex- 
plained it  to  Andre.  Two  passes  signed  by 
Arnold,  which  Smith  brought,  made  still 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  89 

plainer  Arnold's  wish  that  Andre  should  come 
ashore.  Andre  yielded  and  went  with  Smith, 
who  landed  him  at  the  loot  of  a  great  hill  called 
Long  Clove  Mountain,  about  two  miles  below 
Haverstraw,  on  the  western  side  of  the  river. 

"  This  was  the  place  Arnold  had  set  for  the 
meeting  with  Andre,  and  he  was  there  hidden 
in  the  bushes.  Smith  took  Andre  to  him,  then 
left  them  alone  together,  and  for  the  first  time 
they  heard  each  the  other's  voice.  They  were 
plotting  the  utter  ruin  of  this  land,  and  the 
darkness  and  gloom  of  the  place  seemed  to  suit 
the  nature  of  the  wicked  work.  They  had  not 
finished  their  conference  when  Smith  returned 
to  give  warning  that  dawn  approached  and 
it  would  be  dangerous  for  them  to  linger 
longer.  Smith's  house  was  four  miles  away. 
Arnold  proposed  that  they  should  go  there  to 
finish  their  talk,  offering  Andre  a  horse  which 
he  called  his  servant's,  though  it  is  altogether 
probable  it  had  been  brought  there  for  this 
purpose.  Andre  reluctantly  complied  with  the 
request.  He  did  not  know  that  he  was  within 
the  American  lines  until  he  heard  the  voice  of 
a  sentinel  near  the  village  of  Haverstraw.  His 


90  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

i 
uniform  was  concealed  by  a  long  blue  surtout, 

but  he  knew  that  he  was  in  real  danger  because 
he  was  within  the  enemy's  lines  without  a  flag 
or  pass.  At  dawn  they  reached  Smith's  house, 
and  at  the  same  moment  heard  the  sound  of  a 
cannonade  on  the  river.  It  was  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Vulture" 

"  Fired  by  the  Americans,  papa,  or  by  the 
British?"  asked  Elsie. 

"  The  Americans,"  replied  her  father.  "  It 
was  an  attack  upon  the  British  ship  Vulture. 
Colonel  Livingston  had  heard  that  she  lay  so 
near  the  shore  as  to  be  within  cannon  shot  and 
had  conceived  the  idea  of  destroying  her,  and 
during  the  night  had  sent  a  party  with  cannon 
from  Verplanck's  Point;  and  at  dawn,  from 
Teller's  Point,  they  opened  fire  upon  the 
Vulture;  so  severe  a  one  that  the  vessel's  crew 
raised  her  anchor  and  moved  down  the  river. 

"  Colonel  Livingston  had  asked  Arnold  for 
two  pieces  of  heavy  cannon  for  the  purpose  of 
destroying  the  Vulture,  but  on  some  slight  pre- 
tence Arnold  refused,  and  Livingston's  detach- 
ment could  bring  only  one  four-pounder  to  bear 
upon  her. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  91 

"  Colonel  Lamb  of  West  Point  furnished  the 
ammunition — but  grudgingly,  saying  that  fir- 
ing at  a  ship  with  a  four-pounder  was,  in  his 
opinion,  a  waste  of  powder.  As  Lossing  re- 
marks, he  little  thought  what  an  important 
bearing  that  cannonade  was  to  have  upon  the 
destinies  of  America.  It  drove  the  Vulture 
from  her  moorings,  and  was  one  of  the  causes 
of  the  fatal  detention  of  Andre  at  Smith's 
house.  The  Vulture  was  so  seriously  damaged 
that  had  she  not  got  off  with  the  flood  tide  she 
would  have  had  to  surrender  to  the  Americans. 
Andre  was  anxious  and  troubled  at  sight  of  her 
retreat,  but  when  the  firing  ceased  his  spirits 
revived.  He  and  Arnold  went  on  arranging 
their  plot,  and  settled  upon  the  day  when  it 
should  be  consummated. 

"  Andre  was  to  go  back  to  New  York;  the 
British  vessels,  carrying  troops,  were  to  be  ready 
to  come  up  the  river  at  a  moment's  notice,  and 
Arnold  was  to  weaken  the  post  at  West  Point 
by  sending  out  detachments  among  the  moun- 
tain gorges  under  the  pretence  of  meeting  the 
enemy,  as  they  advanced,  at  a  distance  from  the 
works;  and  that  the  river  might  be  left  free  for 


*2  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

the  passage  of  the  British  vessels  a  link  from 
the  great  chain  at  Constitution  Island  was  to  be 
removed.  So  the  enemy  could  take  possession 
with  very  little  resistance. 

"Also  Arnold  supplied  Andre  with  papers 
explaining  the  military  condition  of  West  Point 
and  its  dependencies,  asking  him  to  place  them 
between  his  stockings  and  his  feet,  and  in  case 
of  accident  to  destroy  them.  He  also  gave  him 
a  pass;  then  bade  him  adieu  and  went  up  the 
river  in  his  barge:  probably  feeling  greatly  satis- 
fied with  the  thought  that  he  had  at  last  fully 
succeeded  in  carrying  out  his  wicked  scheme  to 
betray  his  country. 

"  Andre  remained  where  he  was  until  even- 
ing, then  asked  Smith  to  take  him  back  to  the 
Vulture.  Smith  refused,  saying  he  was  not 
well — had  the  ague.  Probably,  though,  it  had 
been  caused  by  the  firing  upon  the  Vulture,  as 
he  was  willing  to  go  with  Andre  if  he  would 
take  the  land  route. 

"  To  that  Andre  finally  consented,  as  he  had 
no  other  means  of  reaching  the  vessel.  Arnold 
had  persuaded  him  that  in  case  of  taking  a  land 
route  he  would  better  exchange  his  military 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  93 

coat  for  a  citizen's  dress,  and  that  he  did.  Both 
that  and  the  receiving  of  papers  were  contrary 
to  the  orders  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton;  but  Andre 
felt  obliged  to  be  governed  by  the  unforeseen 
circumstances  in  which  he  was  now  placed.  He 
and  Smith  started  on  the  short  journey  to- 
gether, Smith  promising  to  conduct  him  as  far 
as  the  lower  outposts  of  the  American  line. 

"A  little  before  sunset, on  the  evening  of  Sep- 
tember 22d,  they  crossed  King's  Ferry,  accom- 
panied by  a  negro  servant,  and  at  dusk  passed 
through  the  works  at  Verplanck's  Point  and 
turned  toward  White  Plains.  They  had  gone 
as  far  as  Crompond,  a  little  village  about  eight 
miles  from  Verplanck's  Point,  when  they  were 
hailed  by  a  sentinel  who  belonged  to  a  party 
under  Captain  Boyd.  That  officer  asked  the 
travellers  many  searching  questions,  and  would 
not  be  satisfied  that  all  was  right  until  they 
showed  him  Arnold's  pass.  He  had  a  light 
brought  and  examined  the  pass,  and,  seeing  that 
it  was  genuine,  he  gave  them  permission  to  go 
on,  after  he  had  apologized  for  his  doubts  of 
them  and  given  them  a  friendly  warning  of 
danger  from  the  Cowboys  in  the  neighborhood. 


»4  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

He  advised  them  on  that  account  to  travel  no 
farther  till  morning;  but  Smith  said  their  busi- 
ness was  urgent  and  they  must  make  haste  to 
reach  White  Plains. 

"  At  that  the  captain  went  on  to  speak  very 
strongly  of  the  dangers  of  the  way,  till  he  so 
aroused  the  fears  of  Smith  that  he  was  disposed 
to  tarry  where  they  were  for  the  rest  of  the 
night.  Andre  was  not  so  inclined,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  Smith  could  induce  him  to 
stay  and  take  lodging  in  a  near-by  cottage. 

"They  occupied  the  same  bed,  and  Smith 
afterward  told  that  it  was  a  weary  and  restless 
night  for  Andre.  They  left  their  bed  at  dawn 
and  again  started  upon  their  journey.  As  they 
neared  Pine's  Bridge,  Smith  assured  Andre  that 
they  were  beyond  patrolling  parties,  and  Andre 
at  once  shook  off  his  depression  and  talked 
gaily,  discoursing  upon  arts,  literature,  poetry, 
and  the  common  topics  of  the  day.  Near 
Pine's  Bridge  they  separated;  Smith  went  to 
Fishkill,  stopping  at  the  Eobinson  House  on  his 
way  to  tell  Arnold  the  particulars  of  his  little 
journey  with  Andre  and  where  he  had  left 
him. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  95 

"  Smith  and  others  had  advised  Andre  not  to 
take  the  Tarrytown  road  because  of  the  many 
Cowboys  in  that  neighborhood,  but  Andre,  con- 
sidering them  his  friends,  disregarded  the  ad- 
vice, and,  in  consequence,  met  his  sad  fate." 

"  It  was  a  pity  for  him,  but  a  good  thing  for 
our  country,"  remarked  Lucilla. 

"Yes,"  her  father  said.  "On  that  very 
morning  a  little  band  of  seven  volunteers  went 
out  near  Tarrytown  to  prevent  cattle  from 
being  driven  to  New  York,  and  to  arrest  any 
suspicious  characters  who  might  be  travelling 
that  way.  A  man  named  John  Yerks  proposed 
the  expedition  the  day  before,  and  enlisted  sev- 
eral others  to  take  part  in  the  enterprise.  They 
reached  Tarrytown  early  on  the  day  Andre  did. 
Four  of  them  agreed  to  watch  the  road  from  a 
hill  above,  while  Paulding,  Van  Wart,  and 
David  Williams  were  to  conceal  themselves  in 
the  bushes  beside  the  stream  and  near  the  post 
road. 

"  Eleven  days  after  that,  at  the  trial  of  Smith, 
Paulding  and  Williams  told  the  story  of  their 
capture  of  Andre.  Paulding  testified  that  he, 
Isaac  Van  Wart,  and  David  Williams  were  lying 


96  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

by  the  side  of  the  road  about  half  a  mile  above 
Tarrytown  and  fifteen  miles  above  Kingsbridge, 
between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  on  Saturday 
morning,  the  23d  of  September.  That  they 
had  lain  there  about  an  hour  and  a  half,  as 
nearly  as  he  could  recollect,  and  had  seen  sev- 
eral persons  with  whom  they  were  acquainted 
and  whom  they  let  pass.  Presently  one  of  the 
young  men  with  him  said,  '  There  comes  a  gen- 
tlemanlike-looking man  who  appears  to  be  well 
dressed  and  has  boots  on.  You'd  better  step 
out  and  stop  him,  if  you  don't  know  him.' 

"Paulding  went  on  to  say  that  on  that  he 
got  up,  presented  his  firelock  at  the  breast  of 
the  traveler,  told  him  to  stand,  and  then  asked 
him  which  way  he  was  going.  '  Gentlemen,' 
said  Andre,  '  I  hope  you  belong  to  our  party/ 
Paulding  asked  him  what  party.  He  answered, 
t  The  lower  party.'  Paulding  said  he  did; 
then  Andre  said,  '  I  am  a  British  officer,  out  in 
the  country  on  particular  business,  and  I  hope 
you  will  not  detain  me  a  minute/  Then,  to 
show  that  he  was  a  British  officer,  he  drew  out 
his  watch.  Upon  that  Paulding  told  him  to 
dismount.  '  I  must  do  anything  to  get  along/ 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  97 

he  said,  and  made  a  kind  of  laugh  of  it,  and 
pulled  out  General  Arnold's  pass,  which  was  to 
John  Anderson,  to  pass  all  guards  to  White 
Plains  and  below.  Upon  that  he  dismounted, 
and  said,  '  Gentlemen,  you  had  best  let  me  go, 
or  you  will  bring  yourselves  into  trouble,  for 
your  stopping  me  will  detain  the  general's  busi- 
ness ';  and  he  said  he  was  going  to  Dobbs  Ferry 
to  meet  a  person  there  and  get  intelligence  for 
General  Arnold. 

"  'Upon  that,'  continued  Paulding,  'I  told 
him  I  hoped  he  would  not  be  offended;  that  we 
did  not  mean  to  take  any  tiling  from  him;  and 
I  told  him  there  were  many  bad  people  on  the 
road,  and  I  did  not  know  but  perhaps  he  might 
be  one.'  Paulding  also  said  that  he  asked  the 
person  his  name,  and  was  told  that  it  was  John 
Anderson.  He  added  that  if  Anderson  had  not 
already  told  that  he  was  a  British  officer,  he 
would  have  let  him  go  on  seeing  Arnold's  pass. 
He  also  said  that  he  understood  the  pulling  out 
of  the  watch  to  mean  to  show  that  he  was  a 
British  officer;  not  that  he  was  offering  it  to  his 
captors. 

"Williams  too  gave  his  testimony  in  regard 


98  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

to  the  occurrences.  'We  took  him  into  the 
bushes/  he  said,  'and  ordered  him  to  pull  off 
his  clothes,  which  he  did;  but  on  searching  him 
narrowly  we  could  not  find  any  sort  of  writing. 
We  told  him  to  pull  off  his  boots,  which  he 
seemed  to  be  indifferent  about;  but  we  got  one 
boot  off  and  searched  in  it,  but  could  find 
nothing.  But  we  found  that  there  were  some 
papers  in  the  bottom  of  his  stocking  next  to  his 
foot;  on  which  we  made  him  pull  his  stocking 
off,  and  found  three  papers  wrapped  up.  Mr. 
Paulding  looked  at  the  contents,  and  said  that 
he  was  a  spy.  We  then  made  him  pull  off  his 
other  boot,  and  there  we  found  three  more 
papers  at  the  bottom  of  his  foot,  within  his 
stocking.  Upon  this  we  made  him  dress  him- 
self, and  I  asked  him  what  he  would  give  us  to 
let  him  go.  He  said  he  would  give  us  any  sum 
of  money.  I  asked  him  whether  he  would  give 
us  his  horse,  saddle,  bridle,  watch,  and  one 
hundred  guineas.  He  said  Yes,  and  told  us  he 
would  direct  them  to  any  place,  even  if  it  wa» 
that  very  spot,  so  that  we  could  get  them.  I 
asked  him  whether  he  would  not  give  us  more. 
He  said  he  would  give  us  any  quantity  of  dry 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  99 

goods,  or  any  sum  of  money,  and  bring  it  to  any 
place  that  we  might  pitch  upon,  so  that  we 
might  get  it.  Mr.  Paulding  answered,  "No; 
if  you  would  give  us  ten  thousand  guineas,  you 
should  not  stir  one  step."  I  then  asked  the 
person  who  had  called  himself  John  Anderson 
if  he  would  not  get  away  if  it  lay  in  his  power. 
He  answered,  "  Yes,  I  would."  I  told  him  I 
did  not  intend  he  should.  While  taking  him 
along  we  asked  him  a  few  questions,  and  we 
stopped  under  a  shade.  He  begged  us  not  to 
ask  him  questions,  and  said  that  when  he  came 
to  any  commander  he  would  reveal  all. 

" '  He  was  dressed  in  a  blue  overcoat/  Wil- 
liams went  on  to  say,  'and  a  tight  bodycoat 
that  was  a  kind  of  claret  color,  though  a  rather 
deeper  red  than  claret.  The  buttonholes  were 
laced  with  gold  tinsel,  and  the  buttons  drawn 
over  with  the  same  kind  of  lace.  He  had  on  a 
round  hat,  and  nankeen  waistcoat  and  breeches, 
with  a  flannel  waistcoat  and  drawers,  boots  and 
thread  stockings/ 

"  North  Castle  was  the  nearest  military  post, 
and  there  they  took  Andre  and  delivered  both 
the  man  and  the  papers  they  had  found  upon 


100  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

him  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  Jameson,  the  officer 
in  command. 

"  It  seems  hard  to  understand  how  Jameson 
could  be  so  foolish  as  to  decide  as  he  did,  to 
send  the  prisoner  immediately  to  Arnold.  He 
knew  that  some  of  the  papers  were  in  Arnold's 
undisguised  handwriting,  and  it  seems  unac- 
countable that  the  circumstances  under  which 
they  had  come  into  his  hands  should  not  have 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  treachery  of  that  officer. 
He  wrote  a  letter  to  Arnold  saying  that  he  sent 
a  certain  Mr.  Anderson  forward  under  the 
charge  of  Lieutenant  Allen  and  a  guard,  Ander- 
son having  been  taken  while  on  his  way  to  New 
York;  adding,  '  He  had  a  passport  signed  in 
your  name,  and  a  parcel  of  papers  taken  from 
under  his  stockings  which  I  think  of  a  very 
dangerous  tendency/  He  went  on  to  describe 
the  papers  and  to  say  that  he  had  sent  them  to 
Washington. 

"Major  Tallmadge,  who  was  next  in  com- 
mand to  Jameson,  was  that  day  on  duty  farther 
down  the  river.  When  he  returned  in  the 
evening  and  heard  of  the  circumstances,  he  was 
filled  with  astonishment  at  Jameson's  folly,  and 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  101 

boldly  expressed  his  doubts  of  Arnold's  fidelity. 
He  offered  to  take  upon  himself  the  entire  re- 
sponsibility of  acting  on  the  belief  of  his  guilt, 
if  Jameson  would  consent.  But  Jameson  re- 
fused to  allow  anything  that  would  seem  to 
imply  distrust  of  Arnold. 

"  Then  Tallmadge  earnestly  begged  of  him  to 
have  the  prisoner  brought  back.  Jameson 
gave  an  unwilling  consent  to  that,  but  insisted 
on  forwarding  his  letter  and  informing  the 
general  why  the  prisoner  was  not  sent  on. 
That  was  the  letter  Arnold  received  in  time 
to  enable  him  to  make  his  escape  to  the 
Vulture. 

"  Jameson  at  once  sent  an  express  after  Lieu- 
tenant Allen,  who  had  Andr6  in  charge,  direct- 
ing him  to  take  his  prisoner  back  to  headquar- 
ters at  North  Castle. 

"  When  Major  Tallmadge  saw  Andre,  and 
noticed  his  manner  and  gait  as  he  paced  the 
room,  he  felt  convinced  that  he  was  a  military 
man  and  more  than  ever  certain  that  Arnold 
was  indeed  a  traitor.  He  talked  the  matter 
over  with  Jameson  and  partly  convinced  him. 
The  result  was  the  removal  of  Andre  to  Colonel 


102  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

Sheldon's  quarters  at  North  Salem,  as  a  more 
secure  place. 

"  There  Andre  wrote  a  letter  to  Washington, 
giving  his  name  and  rank  and  a  brief  account  of 
the  occurrences  which  had  brought  him  into  hia 
present  situation.  This  he  handed  to  Major 
Tallmadge,  who  learned  with  astonishment  that 
his  prisoner  was  the  adjutant-general  of  the 
British  Army. 

"  The  letter  was  sealed  and  sent  to  General 
Washington,  and  the  prisoner  seemed  to  feel 
relieved.  In  obedience  to  an  order  from  Wash- 
ington, Andre  was  taken  to  West  Point  and  kept 
there  until  the  morning  of  the  28th,  when  he 
was  conducted  to  Stony  Point  and  from  there, 
under  a  strong  escort,  to  Tappan.  Major  Tall- 
madge  commanded  the  escort  and  rode  by 
Andre's  side  all  the  way.  He  and  Andre  were 
about  the  same  age  and  held  the  same  rank  in 
their  respective  armies.  They  talked  on  the 
way  as  familiarly  as  possible.  Andre  told  Tall- 
madge  that  he  was  to  have  taken  part  in  the  at- 
tack on  West  Point  if  Arnold's  plans  had  suc- 
ceeded; that  he  had  asked  no  reward  but  the 
military  glory  to  be  won  by  such  service  to  his 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  103 

king,  though  he  had  been  promised  the  rank 
and  pay  of  a  brigadier-general  if  he  had  suc- 
ceeded. He  inquired  earnestly  of  Tallmadge 
what  would  probably  be  the  result  of  his  cap- 
ture. In  reply  Tallmadge  reminded  him  of  the 
fate  of  the  unfortunate  Captain  Hale. 

"'But  you  surely  do  not  consider  his  case 
and  mine  alike? '  said  Andre. 

" '  Yes,  precisely  similar,  and  similar  will  be 
your  fate,'  replied  Tallmadge. 

"  The  prospect  of  that — the  being  branded  ae 
a  spy — greatly  distressed  poor  Andre;  he 
seemed  to  feel  it  the  very  worst  part  of  his  sad 
fate." 

"  To  be  called  a  spy,  papa?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  Yes;  it  is  an  odious  name,  and  in  his  case 
would  not  have  the  excuse  that  it  was  work 
undertaken  for  the  salvation  of  his  country,  as 
it  was  in  that  of  Nathan  Hale." 

"Nathan  Hale?  "Who  was  he,  papa?  and 
what  did  he  do?  " 

"  I  must  go  on  with  this  story  now,  and  you 
shall  learn  that  of  Captain  Hale  at  another 
time,"  replied  his  father. 

"Washington  now  made  arrangements  for 


104  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

the  security  of  West  Point,  then  went  to  the 
army  at  Tappan.  There  he  called  together  a 
board  of  general  officers  and  directed  them  to 
inquire  into  the  case  of  Andre  and  report  to 
him,  stating  in  what  light  they  thought  the  pris- 
oner should  be  regarded  and  what  his  punish- 
ment should  be.  That  court  was  convened  at 
Tappan  on  the  29th  of  September,  and  Major 
Andre  arraigned  before  it.  He  made  a  plain 
statement  of  the  facts,  acknowledged  and  con- 
firmed the  account  he  had  given  in  his  letter 
to  Washington,  confessed  that  he  came  ashore 
in  the  night  and  without  a  flag,  and  answered 
the  question  whether  he  had  anything  further 
to  say  in  regard  to  the  charges  against  him  by 
the  remark,  '  I  leave  them  to  operate  with  the 
board,  persuaded  that  you  will  do  me  justice/ 

"  He  was  sent  back  to  prison  while  the  board 
deliberated  long  and  carefully  over  the  question 
of  his  guilt.  Their  final  verdict  was  that 
'Major  Andre,  adjutant-general  of  the  British 
Army,  ought  to  be  considered  as  a  spy  from  the 
enemy,  and  that  agreeably  to  the  law  and  usage 
of  nations,  it  is  their  opinion  that  he  ought  to 
suffer  death.' 


ELSIE  ON  TSE  HUDSON.  105 

"  The  next  day  Washington's  approval  of  the 
decision  was  given,  accompanied  by  the  order 
that  the  execution  should  take  place  on  the 
following  day  at  five  o'clock  p.  M." 

"  What  a  pity!  "  exclaimed  Grace.  "  I  think 
I  have  read  that  our  officers  felt  sorry  for  him 
and  would  have  heen  glad  to  spare  his  life. 
Was  it  not  so,  papa?  " 

"  Yes,"  the  captain  said.  "  There  was  a  gen- 
eral desire  on  the  part  of  the  Americans  to  save 
his  life,  and  I  think  no  one  desired  it  more 
earnestly  than  Washington,  if  it  could  have 
been  done  in  a  manner  consistent  with  his  pub- 
lic duty.  The  only  way  to  accomplish  that  was 
by  exchanging  him  for  Arnold,  and  holding  the 
latter  responsible  for  the  acts  of  his  victim.  A 
formal  proposition  of  the  kind  would  not  an- 
swer,— Washington  could  not  make,  nor  Clin- 
ton accept  it, — but  a  plan  to  attempt  such  an 
arrangement  was  decided  upon.  A  trusty  offi- 
cer of  the  New  Jersey  line,  Captain  Aaron  Og- 
den,  was  given  a  packet  of  papers  by  Washing- 
ton containing  an  official  account  of  Andre's 
trial,  the  decision  of  the  board  of  inquiry,  and 
Andre's  letter  to  his  general.  Ogden  was  told 


106  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

to  choose  his  escort  of  men  known  for  their 
fidelity,  then  go  to  Lafayette  for  further  in- 
structions. 

"  Lafayette  was  in  command  of  the  light  in- 
fantry and  stationed  nearest  to  the  British.  He 
instructed  Ogden  to  travel  so  slowly  that  he 
would  not  reach  Paulus  Hotel  till  near  night, 
and  he  would  be  invited  to  stay  there  till  morn- 
ing. He  was  then  to  get  into  talk  with  the 
commandant  of  the  post  about  this  affair  of 
Andr6,  and  suggest  that  it  would  be  well  to  ex- 
change him  for  Arnold  if  it  could  be  done. 

"It  all  occurred  just  as  planned:  the  com- 
mandant received  Ogden  courteously,  sent  the 
package  across  the  river,  invited  him  to  stay  all 
night,  and  in  the  course  of  conversation  An- 
dr6's  case  was  introduced. 

"'Is  there  no  way  to  spare  his  life?'  asked 
the  commandant. 

"'If  Sir  Henry  Clinton  would  give  up 
Arnold,  Andre  might  be  saved/  replied  Ogden. 
'  I  have  no  assurance  to  that  effect  from  General 
Washington,  but  I  have  reason  to  know  that 
such  an  arrangement  might  be  effected/ 

" '  On  hearing  that  the  commandant  left  the 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  10* 

company  immediately,  crossed  the  river,  and 
had  an  interview  with  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  It 
availed  nothing,  however.  Sir  Henry  at  once 
refused  compliance;  honor,  he  said,  would  not 
allow  the  surrender  of  Arnold — a  man  who 
had  deserted  from  the  Americans  and  openly 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  king. 

"  When  Ogden  mustered  his  men  at  dawn  the 
next  morning  a  sergeant  was  missing.  He  had 
deserted  to  the  enemy  during  the  night.  There 
was  no  time  to  search  for  him,  and  they  re- 
turned to  Tappan  without  him." 

"  Did  he  go  over  to  the  British,  papa?  Oh, 
what  a  naughty  man!  "  cried  Ned. 

"  That  was  what  his  fellow-soldiers  thought,"" 
returned  the  captain  with  a  smile.  "  But  he 
was  really  obeying  Washington,  who  wanted 
him  to  obtain  in  that  way  some  very  impor- 
tant information.  A  paper  had  been  inter- 
cepted in  which  was  the  name  of  General  St. 
Clair,  mentioned  in  such  a  way  as  to  excite  sus- 
picion that  he  was  connected  with  Arnold's 
treason.  The  sergeant,  who  was  an  intelli- 
gent man,  soon  discovered  that  there  was  no 
ground  for  such  suspicion,  and  that  the  paper 


108  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

which  had  excited  it  was  designed  hy  the  enemy 
to  fall  into  Washington's  hands  and  excite 
jealousy  and  ill-feeling  among  the  American 
officers.  The  papers  were  traced  to  a  British 
emissary  named  Brown. 

"  Sir  Henry  Clinton  was  mnch  distressed  on 
reading  Washington's  despatch  and  the  letter 
of  Andre.  He  summoned  a  council  of  officers 
and  it  was  at  once  resolved  to  send  a  deputation 
of  three  persons  to  the  nearest  American  out- 
post to  open  communication  with  Washington, 
present  proofs  of  Andre's  innocence,  and  try  to 
procure  his  release.  General  Robertson,  An- 
drew Elliott,  and  William  Smith  were  the  men 
chosen  as  the  committee,  and  Beverly  Eohinson 
went  with  them  as  a  witness  in  the  case.  To- 
ward noon,  on  the  last  of  October,  they  arrived 
at  Dobhs  Ferry,  in  the  Greyhound  schooner, 
with  a  flag  of  truce. 

"  General  Greene  had  been  appointed  by 
Washington  to  act  in  his  behalf,  and  was 
already  at  the  ferry  when  the  Greyhound  came 
to  anchor.  General  Robertson  opened  the  con- 
ference with  great  courtesy  of  manner  and  flat- 
tering words,  and  was  going  on  to  discuss  the 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  109 

subject  of  conference,  when  General  Greene 
politely  interrupted  him  by  saying,  *  Let  us 
understand  our  position,  I  meet  you  only  as  a 
private  gentleman,  not  as  an  officer,  for  the 
case  of  an  acknowledged  spy  admits  of  no  dis- 
cussion.' 

"With  that  understanding  the  conference 
was  carried  on,  the  British  saying  what  they 
could  in  Andre's  favor,  but  bringing  forward 
nothing  that  affected  the  justice  of  his  sen- 
tence. Then  a  letter  from  Arnold  to  Washing- 
ton was  produced.  It  was  impudent,  malig- 
nant, and  hypocritical;  menaced  Washington 
with  dreadful  retaliation  if  Andre  should  be 
executed,  prophesying  that  it  would  cause  tor- 
rents of  blood  to  flow,  and  the  guilt  of  that 
would  be  upon  Washington.  Such  a  letter 
could  not  reasonably  be  expected  to  produce 
any  good  effect. 

"  The  conference  ended  at  sunset.  Robert- 
son expressed  his  confidence  that  Greene  would 
be  candid  in  reporting  to  Washington  the  sub- 
stance of  what  had  passed  between  them,  add- 
ing that  he  should  remain  on  board  the  Grey- 
hound all  night,  and  that  he  hoped  that  in  the 


110  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON". 

morning  he  might  take  Major  Andre"  back  witK 
him,  or  at  least  hear  that  his  life  was  safe. 

"  Kobertson  was  overwhelmed  with  astonish- 
ment and  grief  when  early  the  next  morning 
he  received  a  note  from  Greene  stating  that 
Washington's  opinion  and  decision  were  un- 
changed, and  the  prisoner  would  be  executed 
that  day. 

"  Sir  Henry  Clinton  wrote  to  Washington, 
offering  some  important  prisoners  in  exchange; 
but  it  was  too  late. 

"Andre  showed  no  fear  of  death,  but  was 
very  solicitous  to  be  shot  rather  than  hanged. 
He  pleaded  for  that  with  touching  but  manlj 
earnestness,  importuning  Washington  in  a  letter 
written  the  day  before  his  death.  It  was,  how- 
ever, contrary  to  the  customs  of  war,  and  Wash- 
ington, kind-hearted  as  he  was,  could  not 
grant  his  request. 

"Major  Andre  was  executed  at  Tappan  on 
the  2d  of  October,  1780,  at  twelve  o'clock. 
A  large  detachment  of  troops  was  paraded; 
there  was  an  immense  concourse  of  people 
present;  excepting  Washington  and  his  staff, 
almost  all  the  field  officers  were  there  on 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  Ill 

Horseback.  There  was  a  strong  feeling  of 
pity  for  the  young  man,  and  the  whole  scene 
was  very  affecting.  I  suppose  the  general  feel- 
ing was  that  he  was  suffering  the  punishment 
that  ought,  if  possible,  to  have  been  meted  out 
to  Arnold — the  traitor." 

"I  think  history  says  that  Andre  went 
through  it  all  very  bravely;  does  it  not,  cap- 
tain?" asked  Sydney. 

"  Yes;  there  was  a  smile  on  his  countenance 
as  he  walked  from  the  stone-house  where  he  had 
been  confined,  to  the  place  of  execution,  and  he 
bowed  politely  to  several  officers  whom  he 
knew,  they  returning  it  respectfully.  He  had 
hoped  to  be  shot  rather  than  hanged,  and  when 
he  suddenly  came  in  view  of  the  gallows  he 
started  backward  and  made  a  pause.  An  officer 
by  his  side  asked,  'Why  this  emotion,  sir?' 
Andre  instantly  recovered  his  composure,  and 
answered,  '  I  am  reconciled  to  my  death,  but  I 
detest  the  mode/  Tears  came  into  the  eyes  of 
many  of  the  spectators  as  they  saw  him  take  off 
his  hat  and  stock,  and  bandage  his  own  eyes. 
He  slipped  the  noose  over  his  head,  and  ad- 
justed it  to  his  neck  with  perfect  firmness.  He 


112  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

was  then  told  that  he  had  an  opportunity  to 
speak  if  he  wished  to  do  so.  At  that  he  raised 
the  handkerchief  from  his  eyes,  and  said,  'I 
pray  you  to  bear  me  witness  that  I  meet  my 
fate  like  a  brave  man.'  He  had  said  of  the 
manner  of  his  death,  '  It  will  be  but  a  momen- 
tary pang/  and  so  it  proved,  as,  on  the  removal 
of  the  wagon  on  which  he  stood,  he  expired 
almost  instantly.  The  body  was  placed  in  an 
ordinary  coffin,  and  buried  at  the  foot  of  the 
gallows.  And  the  spot  was  consecrated  by  the 
tears  of  thousands." 

"  But  it  doesn't  lie  there  now?  "  Sydney  said 
half  in  assertion,  half  inquiringly. 

"No;  in  1831  it  was  taken  up,  carried  to 
England,  and  buried  near  his  monument  in 
Westminster  Abbey.  But  here  we  are  at  our 
temporary  home  again,  and  further  talk  on 
these  interesting  historical  themes  must  be  de- 
ferred until  our  usual  gathering  together  on 
the  porch  for  an  evening  chat,"  said  the  cap- 
tain as  the  boat  rounded  to  at  the  wharf  below 
Evelyn's  cottage. 


CHAPTER  VH. 

THE  trip  on  the  Dolphin  had  been  restful 
rather  than  fatiguing,  and  all  were  ready  when 
tea  was  over  for  further  chat  upon  the  inter- 
esting historical  themes  which  had  engaged 
their  attention  through  the  day. 

"  Congress  rewarded  the  men  who  took 
Andre  prisoner,  did  it  not,  papa?  "  asked  Grace. 

"  Yes;  each  of  them  was  given  a  medal  and 
a  pension  of  two  hundred  dollars  a  year. 
Washington  wrote  of  them  to  Congress  in  terms 
of  high  praise,  proposing  that  they  should  re- 
ceive a  handsome  gratuity  for  having  saved  the 
country  from  one  of  the  severest  strokes  that 
could  have  been  meditated  against  it.  Lossing 
tells  the  whole  story  in  his  '  Field-Book  of  the 
Revolution,'  and  gives  a  picture  of  the  medal." 

"  Oh,  that  was  good! "  exclaimed  Little 
Elsie,  adding,  "Now,  papa,  I  hope  you  are 
going  to  tell  us  the  rest  about  the  traitor  Ar- 
nold." 


114  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  If  all  wish  to  hear  it,"  replied  her  father; 
and  receiving  the  assurance  that  such  was  the 
case,  he  proceeded  with  the  story. 

"  When  Arnold  left  Andre  at  Smith's  house 
he  went  up  the  river  in  his  harge  and  directly 
to  the  Eobinson  House;  on  arriving  there  spent 
a  little  time  with  his  wife  and  child,  then  had 
a  talk  with  his  two  aides,  Majors  Varick  and 
Franks,  telling  them  he  was  expecting  impor- 
tant information  from  New  York  through  a 
distinguished  channel  which  he  had  just  opened. 
This  was  on  the  22d;  the  day  fixed  upon  for  the 
ascent  of  the  river  by  the  British  ships  was  the 
24th,  and  West  Point  was  to  be  surrendered  to 
them  on  their  arrival  there." 

"And  they  listened  to  it  all  and  never  sus- 
pected him?"  exclaimed  Sydney. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  captain;  "  he  told  it  all  as 
calmly  as  if  there  were  no  guilt  on  his  soul,  and 
so  he  appeared  on  the  very  day  that  his  treason 
was  to  be  consummated. 

"Washington  returned  from  Hartford  two 
days  sooner  than  Arnold  had  expected.  He 
passed  the  night  at  Fishkill,  and  he  and  his 
suite  were  in  the  saddle  before  dawn,  as  he  was 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  116 

anxious  to  reach  Arnold's  quarters  before 
"breakfast  time,  and  they  had  eighteen  miles  to 
ride.  Men  were  sent  ahead  with  the  baggage 
and  a  notice  of  Washington's  intention  of 
breakfasting  there;  but  when  the  general  and 
his  party  came  opposite  West  Point,  he  turned 
his  horse  down  a  lane  toward  the  river. 

"  Lafayette  said,  '  General,  you  are  going  in 
a  wrong  direction;  you  know  Mrs.  Arnold  is 
waiting  breakfast  for  us;  and  that  road  will 
take  us  out  of  the  way.' 

"  Washington  answered  good-naturedly: '  Ah, 
I  know  you  young  men  are  all  in  love  with  Mrs. 
Arnold,  and  wish  to  get  where  she  is  as  soon  as 
possible.  You  may  go  and  take  your  break- 
fast with  her,  and  tell  her  not  to  wait  for  me; 
for  I  must  ride  down  and  examine  the  redoubts 
on  this  side  of  the  river,  and  will  be  there  in  a 
short  time.' 

"But  the  officers  did  not  leave  him,  except 
two  aides-de-camp  who  rode  on  ahead  to  explain 
the  cause  of  the  delay.  Breakfast  was  waiting 
when  they  arrived,  and  they  all  sat  down  to 
their  meal. 

44  Arnold  seemed  moody.    Washington  had 


116  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

come  "back  too  soon  to  suit  his  plans,  and  the 
British  had  not  come  up  the  river  at  the  ap- 
pointed time.  He  did  not  understand  it,  for 
he  had  not  yet  heard  that  Andre  was  a  pris- 
oner. But  before  the  meal  was  over  Lieuten- 
ant Allen  came  with  a  letter  for  him.  Arnold 
broke  the  seal  hastily,  for  he  recognized  Colo- 
nel Jameson's  handwriting  in  the  address. 
Doubtless  Arnold  expected  it  would  inform  him 
that  the  enemy  was  moving  up  the  river;  but  in- 
stead it  told  that  Major  Andre  of  the  British 
Army  was  a  prisoner  in  his  custody.  It  must 
have  been  like  a  thunderbolt  to  Arnold,  but  his 
self-control  was  such  that  he  showed  but  slight 
disturbance;  he  told  the  aides-de-camp  that  he 
found  he  must  go  immediately  to  West  Point, 
and  asked  them  to  say  to  General  Washington, 
when  he  came,  that  he  had  been  unexpectedly 
called  over  the  river  and  would  soon  return. 

"  He  ordered  a  horse  to  be  made  ready,  then 
left  the  table  and  went  upstairs  to  his  wife. 
He  told  her  that  he  must  flee  for  his  life,  and 
might  never  see  her  again.  She  fainted,  but  not 
venturing  to  call  for  assistance,  or  to  delay  his 
flight,  he  gave  a  farewell  kiss  to  their  sleeping 


ELSIE  ON  THE  EUDSOK  117 

baby,  ran  from  the  room,  mounted  a  horse  be- 
longing to  one  of  Washington's  aides,  and  has- 
tened toward  the  river — not  by  the  winding 
road  that  led  to  the  Beverly  Dock,  but  along  a 
by-way  that  led  down  a  steep  hill  which  is  yet 
called  Arnold's  Path.  He  got  into  his  barge, 
and  told  the  six  oarsmen  to  push  out  into  the 
middle  of  the  stream  and  pull  for  Teller's  Point, 
promising  them  two  gallons  of  rum  if  they 
would  row  rapidly.  He  told  them  he  was  going 
on  board  the  Vulture  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and 
was  obliged  to  make  all  possible  haste,  as  he 
wanted  to  return  in  time  to  meet  General 
Washington  at  his  quarters. 

"  When  they  passed  Verplanck's  Point  he 
showed  a  white  handkerchief,  which  served  as 
a  flag  of  truce  to  both  Captain  Livingston  at 
the  Point  and  Captain  Sutherland  of  the 
Vulture — lying  in  sight  a  few  miles  below.  No 
one  followed  or  tried  to  intercept  them,  and 
they  reached  the  Vulture  without  difficulty. 
Arnold  introduced  himself  to  the  captain,  then 
told  his  oarsmen  that  they  were  prisoners. 
They  answered  indignantly  that  they  had  come 
aboard  under  a  flag  «af  truce  and  had  a  right  to 


118  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

be  allowed  to  go  back  free.  Arnold  coolly  told 
them  they  must  remain  on  board.  Captain 
Sutherland  did  not  interfere;  but,  despising 
Arnold's  meanness,  he  gave  the  coxswain  a 
parole  to  go  on  shore  and  get  such  things  as  he 
wanted,  and  when  they  arrived  at  New  York 
Sir  Henry  Clinton  set  them  all  at  liberty." 

"  Arnold  was  one  mean  wretch!  I  am  sorry 
to  have  to  own  him  as  an  American!"  exclaimed 
Lucilla. 

"Didn't  the  British  despise  him,  papa?" 
asked  Elsie. 

"Yes,  many  of  them  did — regarding  him 
with  scorn  as  a  reptile  unworthy  of  that  esteem 
which  a  high-souled  traitor,  a  traitor  because  of 
great  personal  wrong,  might  claim. 

"You  remember  Arnold  had  said  wfien  he 
left  the  breakfast  table  at  the  Eobinson  House 
that  he  was  going  to  West  Point.  Shortly  after 
his  departure  Washington  came  in.  On  being 
told  that  Arnold  had  gone  across  the  river  to 
West  Point,  he  took  a  hasty  breakfast,  then 
said  he  would  go  over  again  and  meet  Arnold 
there.  Hamilton  did  not  go  with  the  others, 
and  it  was  arranged  that  the  general  and 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  lit 

his  euite  should  return  and  all  take  dinner 
there. 

"  AB  they  were  crossing  the  river  Washington 
remarked  that  they  would  be  greeted  with  a 
salute,  as  General  Arnold  was  at  the  Point; 
but  to  their  surprise  all  was  silent  when  they 
drew  near  the  landing.  Colonel  Lamb,  the 
commanding  officer,  came  strolling  down  a 
winding  path,  and  was  quite  confused  when  he 
eaw  the  barge  touch  the  shore.  He  apologized 
to  Washington  for  his  seeming  neglect  of  cour- 
tesy, saying  that  he  was  entirely  ignorant  of 
his  intended  visit.  *  Sir,  is  not  General  Arnold 
here?'  asked  Washington  in  surprise. 

" '  No,  sir,'  replied  Colonel  Lamb,  '  he  has 
not  been  here  these  two  days,  nor  have  I  heard 
from  him  within  that  time/ 

"  That  aroused  Washington's  suspicions,  but 
he  went  around  examining  the  works  at  West 
Point,  and  about  noon  returned  to  the  Beverly 
Dock,  from  which  he  had  departed. 

"  As  he  was  going  up  from  the  river  to  the 
house,  Hamilton  was  seen  coming  toward  the 
party  with  a  hurried  step  and  an  anxious, 
troubled  countenance.  He  said  something  to 


120  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

Washington  in  a  low  tone;  they  went  into  the 
house  together,  and  Hamilton  laid  before  the 
chief  several  papers  which  furnished  conclusive 
evidence  of  Arnold's  guilt.  They  were  the 
documents  which  Arnold  had  put  in  Andre's 
hands.  With  them  was  a  letter  from  Colonel 
Jameson  and  one  from  Andre  himself. 

"  Jameson,  thinking  Washington  was  still  in 
Hartford,  had  sent  a  messenger  there  with  these 
papers.  While  on  the  way  the  messenger  heard 
of  the  return  of  Washington,  and,  hurrying 
back,  took  the  nearest  route  to  West  Point 
through  Lower  Salem,  where  Andre  was  in  cus- 
tody. So  he  became  the  bearer  of  Andre's 
letter  to  Washington.  He  reached  the  Robin- 
son House  four  hours  after  Arnold  had  left  it, 
and  placed  the  papers  in  Hamilton's  hands. 

"Washington  called  in  Knox  and  Lafayette 
to  give  their  counsel.  He  was  calm,  but  full  of 
grief.  'Whom  can  we  trust  now?'  ho  «aid. 
As  soon  as  the  papers  had  been  examined,  Wash- 
ington despatched  Hamilton  on  horseback  to 
Verplanck's  Point,  that  an  effort  might  be 
made  there  to  stop  the  traitor. 

"But  it  was  too  late;  Arnold  had  got  nearly 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  121 

six  hours  the  start  of  him.  When  Hamilton 
reached  the  Point  a  flag  of  truce  was  approach- 
ing from  the  Vulture  to  that  post.  The  bearer 
brought  a  letter  from  Arnold  to  "Washington. 
Hamilton  forwarded  it  at  once  to  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief, then  wrote  to  Greene,  who 
was  at  Tappan,  advising  him  to  take  measures 
to  prevent  any  attempt  the  British  might  make 
to  carry  out  the  traitor's  plans. 

"But  the  plot  had  failed;  and  when  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  heard  of  it  the  next  morning,  on 
the  arrival  of  the  Vulture  at  New  York,  know- 
ing that  the  Americans  must  now  be  wide  awake 
to  their  danger,  he  gave  up  all  thought  of  car- 
rying out  his  scheme  for  getting  possession  of 
West  Point/' 

The  captain  paused  in  his  narrative,  and  Eric 
asked,  "  What  did  Arnold  write  to  Washington 
about,  uncle?" 

"To  ask  protection  for  his  wife  and  child, 
and  to  say  that  love  for  his  country  had  actu- 
ated him  in  this  thing." 

"  Humph!  a  queer  kind  of  love  I  should  say," 
sneered  the  boy. 

"Yes;  a  love  that  led  him  to  do  all  in  his 


122  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

power  for  the  utter  destruction  of  her  liber- 
ties." 

"  And  was  Washington  good  to  his  wife  and 
child?" 

"Yes,  very  kind  and  sympathizing;  and 
she  was  soon  able  to  rejoin  her  husband — 
going  down  the  river  to  New  York  with  her 
babe. 

"Washington  promptly  sent  orders  to  Gen- 
eral Greene  to  march  with  his  portion  of  the 
army  toward  King's  Ferry.  Greene  did  not 
get  the  order  before  midnight,  but  by  dawn  his 
whole  division  was  on  the  march.  Washington 
sent  a  letter  to  Colonel  Jameson  also,  telling 
him  to  send  Andre  to  Kobinson's  house  under 
a  strong  guard.  That  order  also  was  received 
at  midnight;  Andre  was  aroused;  and,  though 
the  night  was  very  dark  and  rain  falling  fast, 
a  guard  under  Major  Tallmadge  set  off  with  the 
prisoner.  They  rode  the  rest  of  the  night,  and 
reached  their  destination  at  dawn  of  the  26th. 
On  the  evening  of  that  day  Andre  was  taken 
over  to  West  Point,  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
28th  to  Tappan.  But  we  have  already  finished 
his  story." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  123 

*  I  wish  our  folks  could  have  got  Arnold  and 
punished  him!  "  exclaimed  Eric. 

"  Didn't  they  even  try  at  all,  uncle?  " 

"  Yes,  and  came  very  near  succeeding,"  said 
the  captain.  "You  will  find  an  interesting 
story  about  it  in  Lossing's  '  Field  Book  of  the 
Revolution.' " 

"  Oh,  please  tell  it  to  us  now!  "  cried  several 
young  voices;  and  the  captain  kindly  complied. 

"There  was  a  very  strong  feeling  of  sym- 
pathy for  Andre,  both  in  the  army  and  among 
the  people  outside  of  it,"  he  said,  "  and,  along 
with  that,  anger  and  disgust  toward  Arnold — 
the  arch-traitor — and  a  strong  desire  to  punish 
him  as  his  wickedness  deserved.  There  were 
yarioug  plans  made  to  capture  him — some  of 
them  secret,  some  open.  It  was  while  the  army 
was  still  at  Tappan  that  the  one  I  just  spoke  of 
was  undertaken.  There  were  only  three  per- 
sons— Washington,  Major  Henry  Lee,  and  Ser- 
geant Champe — who  knew  of  it. 

"The  idea  was  Washington's.  He  had 
learned  that  Arnold's  quarters  in  New  York 
were  next  door  to  those  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
and  that  the  traitor  seemed  to  feel  so  safe  that 


124  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

lie  was  not  very  cautious  and  watchful.  Major 
Henry  Lee  was  the  commandant  of  a  brave 
legion  of  cavalry,  a  man  in  whose  prudence, 
patriotism,  and  judgment  "Washington  knew  he 
could  confide;  for  he  had  already  intrusted  to 
him  the  delicate  service  of  ascertaining  the 
truth  of  flying  rumors  that  other  officers  of 
high  rank  were  likely  to  follow  Arnold's  wicked 
example. 

" '  I  have  sent  for  you,  Major  Lee/  Washing- 
ton said  to  him,  'in  the  expectation  that  you 
have  in  your  corps  individuals  capable  and  will- 
ing to  undertake  an  indispensable,  delicate,  and 
hazardous  project.  Whoever  comes  forward  on 
this  occasion  will  lay  me  under  great  obligations 
personally,  and  in  behalf  of  the  United  States 
I  will  reward  him  amply.  No  time  is  to  be 
lost;  he  must  proceed,  if  possible,  to-night/ 

"  He  then  went  on  to  explain  what  he 
wanted,  and  Lee  promptly  replied  that  he  had 
no  doubt  his  legion  contained  many  men  daring 
enough  to  undertake  any  enterprise,  however 
perilous;  but  for  the  service  required  there  was 
needed  a  combination  of  talent  rarely  found  in 
the  same  individual.  He  then  suggested  a  plan 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  125 

which  was  highly  approved  by  Washington. 
He  said  that  Champe,  the  sergeant-major  of  his 
cavalry,  was  one  very  well  qualified  for  the 
service,  but  he  feared  that  his  sense  of  personal 
honor  would  not  allow  him  to  take  the  first  step 
in  the  perilous  expedition, — desertion, — for  he 
was  anxiously  awaiting  a  vacancy  in  the  corps 
to  receive  a  promised  commission. 

"  John  Champe  was  a  Virginian,  a  native  of 
Loudon  County;  he  was  twenty-three  or  twenty- 
four  years  of  age;  he  had  enlisted  in  1776;  he 
was  a  grave,  thoughtful  man  and  as  unlikely  as 
anyone  to  consent  to  do  anything  ignominious. 
Lee  sent  for  him  at  once,  told  him  what  Wash- 
ington wanted,  and  used  all  the  eloquence  of 
which  he  was  master  to  persuade  him  to  under- 
take the  perilous  work.  Champe  listened  with 
the  closest  attention  and  evident  excitement, 
and,  when  Lee  had  concluded,  said  that  he  was 
charmed  with  the  plan  and  the  proposed  re- 
sults; then  went  on  to  say  that  he  was  ready  to 
attempt  anything  for  his  country's  good,  no 
matter  how  dangerous,  that  did  not  involve  his 
honor;  but  the  idea  of  desertion  to  the  enemy 
and  hypocritically  espousing  the  king's  cause 


126  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

was  an  obstacle  in  his  way  too  grave  to  be  disre- 
garded; so  he  must  ask  to  be  excused. 

"Lee  earnestly  replied  to  these  arguments; 
told  him  that  desertion  at  the  request  of  his  be- 
loved commander,  and  for  such  reasons,  carried 
with  it  no  dishonor;  it  was  a  laudable  purpose; 
success  would  bring  him  personal  honor,  and  the 
stain  upon  his  character  would  last  only  till  pru- 
dence would  allow  the  publication  of  the  facts. 

"  A  great  deal  of  persuasion  was  necessary, 
but  at  last  Lee  succeeded;  Champe  consented 
to  undertake  the  perilous  task,  and  they  at  once 
set  about  the  necessary  preparations. 

"Washington  had  his  instructions  already 
drawn  up.  They  were  read  to  Champe,  he  tak- 
ing note  of  them  in  such  a  way  that  no  one  else 
could  understand  their  true  meaning.  He  was 
to  deliver  letters  to  two  persons  in  New  York, 
unknown  to  each  other,  but  who  had  both  been 
long  in  Washington's  confidence.  He  was  to 
procure  such  aid  in  bringing  Arnold  away  as  he 
deemed  best,  but  was  strictly  enjoined  to  for- 
bear killing  the  traitor  under  any  circum- 
stances. 

"  All  these  matters  having  been  settled,  they 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  127 

next  considered  the  difficulties  that  lay  in 
Champe's  way  between  the  camp  and  the 
enemy's  outposts  at  Paulus  Hook.  There  were 
many  pickets  and  patrols  in  the  way,  and  often 
parties  of  American  irregulars  in  search  of 
booty  or  adventure.  Major  Lee  could  not  offer 
Champe  any  aid  against  these  dangers  lest  he 
should  be  charged  with  favoring  his  desertion; 
so  the  sergeant  was  left  to  manage  his  flight  as 
well  as  he  could  without  help,  Lee  only  doing 
what  he  could  to  delay  pursuit  as  long  as  pos- 
sible after  it  should  become  known  that  the 
sergeant-major  had  deserted. 

"It  was  eleven  o'clock  at  night  when 
Champe  took  his  orderly  book,  his  cloak,  and 
valise,  and,  with  three  guineas  in  his  pocket, — 
given  him  by  Lee, — mounted  his  horse  secretly 
and  started  on  his  perilous  expedition.  Lee 
went  at  once  to  his  bed,  but  not  to  sleep.  Hft 
was  doubtless  much  too  anxious  and  excited  for 
that.  Within  an  hour  the  officer  of  the  day, 
Captain  Games,  came  hurrying  in  to  tell  him 
that  one  of  the  patrols  had  fallen  in  with  a 
dragoon,  who,  on  being  challenged,  put  spurs 
to  his  horse  and  escaped. 


128  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Lee  was  slow  in  replying;  pretended  to  be 
Tery  weary  and  drowsy — only  half  awake.  In 
this  way  he  detained  the  captain  for  some  little 
time  before  he  seemed  fairly  to  understand  what 
was  wanted.  Then  he  ridiculed  the  idea  that 
one  of  his  dragoons  had  deserted;  for  such  a 
thing  had  occurred  only  once  during  the  whole 
war. 

"  But  the  captain  would  not  he  convinced  by 
any  such  arguments,  and  by  Lee's  reluctant 
orders  immediately  mustered  a  squadron  of 
horse,  satisfied  himself  and  Lee  that  one  had 
deserted,  and  that  it  was  no  less  a  personage 
than  Champe,  the  sergeant-major,  who  had  de- 
camped with  his  arms,  baggage,  and  orderly 
book. 

"  Captain  Games  ordered  an  immediate  pur- 
suit. Lee  delayed  the  preparations  as  much  as 
possible,  and,  when  all  was  ready,  ordered  a 
change  in  the  command,  giving  it  to  Lieutenant 
Middleton,  a  young  man  of  so  tender  a  dispo- 
sition that  he  would  no  doubt  treat  Champe 
leniently  should  he  catch  him. 

"  Champe,  however,  was  not  caught.  These 
delays  had  given  him  an  hour's  start  of  his  pur- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  129 

suers.  It  was  a  bright  starry  night  and  past 
twelve  o'clock  when  Middleton  and  his  men 
mounted  their  horses  and  spurred  after  him. 

"Lossing  tells  us  that  the  horses  of  Lee's 
regiment  were  all  shod  by  a  farrier  attached  to 
the  corps,  and  every  shoe,  alike  in  form,  had  a 
private  mark  put  upon  it;  so  the  footprints  of 
Champe's  horse  were  easily  recognized;  for  a 
fall  of  rain  at  sunset  had  effaced  other  tracks, 
and  often  before  it  was  light  enough  to  see 
them  readily,  a  trooper  would  dismount  and  ex- 
amine them.  Ascending  a  hill  near  the  village 
of  Bergen,  they  saw  from  its  summit  their  de- 
serting sergeant  not  more  than  half  a  mile  away. 
Champe  saw  them  at  the  same  moment,  and 
both  he  and  they  spurred  on  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible. They  were  all  well  acquainted  witE  the 
roads  in  that  part  of  the  country.  There  was  a 
short  cut  through  the  woods  to  the  bridge  below 
Bergen.  Middleton  divided  his  party,  sending 
a  detachment  by  the  short  road  to  secure  the 
bridge,  while  he  and  the  others  pursued  Champe 
to  Bergen.  As  Paulus  Hook  could  not  be 
reached  without  crossing  the  bridge,  he  now 
felt  sure  of  capturing  the  deserter. 


130  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  The  two  divisions  met  rt  the  "bridge  and 
were  much  astonished  to  find  that  nothing  was 
to  be  seen  of  Champe.  He  knew  of  the  short 
cut,  thought  his  pursuers  would  take  it,  and 
therefore  decided  to  give  up  the  plan  of  joining 
the  British  at  the  Hook  and  take  refuge  on 
board  of  one  of  two  of  the  king's  galleys  that 
were  lying  in  the  bay  about  a  mile  from  Bergen. 

"  Middleton  hurried  from  the  bridge  to  Ber- 
gen, and  asked  if  a  dragoon  had  been  seen  there 
that  morning.  He  was  told  that  there  had  been 
one  there,  but  nobody  could  say  which  way  he 
went  from  the  bridge.  They  could  no  longer 
see  the  print  of  his  horse's  shoes,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment were  at  a  standstill.  But  presently  a  trail 
was  discovered  leading  to  Bergen;  they  hurried 
on,  and  in  a  few  moments  caught  sight  of 
Champe  near  the  water's  edge,  making  signals 
to  the  British  galley.  He  had  his  valise  con- 
taining his  clothes  and  his  orderly  book  lashed 
to  his  back.  When  Middleton  was  within  a  few 
hundred  yards  of  him  he  leaped  from  his  horse, 
threw  away  the  scabbard  of  his  sword,  and, 
with  the  naked  blade  in  his  hand,  sped  across 
the  marsh,  plunged  into  the  deep  waters  of  th» 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  131 

bay,  and  called  to  the  galley  for  help.  In  re- 
sponse to  that  a  boat  with  strong  oarsmen  was 
quickly  sent  to  his  help,  and  directly  he  was  in 
the  galley  with  all  the  evidences  of  his  deser- 
tion. 

"Before  night  he  was  safely  quartered  in 
New  York,  having  arrived  there  with  a  letter 
from  the  captain  of  the  galley  to  Sir  Henry 
Clinton  in  which  the  scene  of  his  escape  from 
the  American  troopers  was  described. 

"  Middleton's  men  picked  up  Champe's  cloak 
and  the  scabbard  of  his  sword,  then  caught  his 
horse  and  returned  with  it  to  Tappan.  As  Lee 
caught  sight  of  the  articles  he  took  them  to  be 
evidence  that  Champe  had  been  killed,  and  was 
grieved  at  the  thought;  but  his  grief  was  turned 
into  great  joy  when  he  learned  from  Middleton 
that  the  sergeant  had  escaped  safely  on  board 
one  of  the  enemy's  galleys. 

"  Four  days  later  a  letter  in  a  disguised  hand, 
and  without  signature,  came  to  Lee.  It  told 
of  the  occurrences  of  Champe's  escape,  and  Lee 
knew  it  was  from  him. 

"  The  British  were  much  pleased  with  the 
desertion  of  Champe,  as  they  knew  that  Lee'8 


132  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

legion  was  considered  very  faithful  and  that 
therefore  this  desertion  was  an  evidence  of  in- 
creasing defection  among  the  American  troops. 
Champe  did  what  he  could  to  increase  the  idea 
by  adroit  answers  to  questions  asked  of  him, 
giving  the  impression  that  he  had  a  strong  de- 
sire to  serve  the  king.  Clinton  gave  him  a 
couple  of  guineas,  and  advised  him  to  call  upon 
Arnold,  who  was  engaged  in  raising  an  Ameri- 
can legion  to  be  composed  of  loyalists  and  de- 
serters. Arnold  received  him  politely,  gave  him 
quarters  among  his  recruiting  sergeants,  and 
invited  him  to  join  his  legion.  Champe  begged 
to  be  excused  from  that,  saying  that  if  caught 
by  the  rebels  he  would  surely  be  hanged;  but 
added  that  if  he  changed  his  mind  he  would 
surely  join  his  legion. 

"  Champe  soon  found  means  to  deliver  the 
letters  Washington  had  entrusted  to  him,  made 
arrangements  with  one  of  the  correspondents 
to  aid  him  in  his  designs  upon  Arnold;  then 
communicated  with  Major  Lee,  telling  him  that 
he  had  ma3e  inquiries  in  regard  to  those  who 
were  suspected  of  beginning  to  favor  the  enemy, 
and  learned  that  there  was  no  foundation  for 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  133 

the  report.  Soon  he  enlisted  in  the  traitor's 
legion  that  he  might  have  free  intercourse  with 
him  and  learn  hia  night  habits  and  pursuits. 
He  soon  discovered  that  it  was  Arnold's  custom 
to  return  to  his  quarters  about  midnight  and 
then  to  visit  a  garden  at  the  back  of  his  house 
which  extended  down  to  the  edge  of  the  river. 
Adjoining  the  garden  was  a  dark  alley  leading 
to  the  street.  All  this  seemed  favorable  to 
Champe's  design.  He  arranged  with  two  ac- 
complices a  plan  which  seemed  feasible:  a  boat 
was  to  be  in  readiness  on  the  river;  they  were  to 
seize  and  gag  Arnold,  carry  him  through  the 
alley,  and  from  there  through  the  most  unfre- 
quented streets  to  the  river;  and  should  anyone 
attempt  to  interfere  with  them  on  the  way  they 
were  to  represent  him  as  a  drunken  soldier 
whom  they  were  taking  to  the  guardhouse. 
When  once  they  had  reached  the  boat  there 
would  be  no  further  difficulty. 

"  Champe  was  to  remove  some  of  the  palings 
in  the  garden  fence  and  replace  them  so 
slightly  that  they  could  be  easily,  quietly,  and 
quickly  taken  out  when  desired.  When  all  was 
arranged  he  wrote  to  Lee  and  appointed  the 


134  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

third  subsequent  night  for  the  delivery  of  the 
traitor  on  the  Jersey  shore. 

"  No  doubt  Lee  was  well  pleased,  and  on  that 
evening  he  and  a  small  party  left  the  camp 
with  three  accoutred  horses — one  for  Arnold, 
one  for  Champe,  and  one  for  the  man  who  was 
assisting  him — and  concealed  themselves  at  a 
place  agreed  upon  in  the  woods  at  Hoboken. 
There  they  remained  hour  after  hour  until 
dawn,  but  no  Champe  and  no  prisoner  ap- 
peared. They  were  much  disappointed,  but  a 
few  days  later  Lee  received  a  letter  from 
Champe  telling  how  their  plan  had  failed,  and 
assuring  him  that  nothing  could  be  done  in  the 
matter  at  present. 

"  He  said  that  on  the  very  day  when  his  plan 
was  to  have  been  carried  out  Arnold  changed 
his  quarters  in  order  to  superintend  the  em- 
barkation of  troops  for  an  erpedition  southward 
to  be  commanded  by  himself.  In  this  expedi- 
tion the  legion  in  which  Champe  had  enlisted 
in  order  to  carry  out  his  plans  was  to  take  part, 
and  the  poor  fellow  was  in  a  sad  dilemma.  In- 
stead of  crossing  the  Hudson  that  night  with 
the  traitor  as  his  prisoner,  he  had  been  obliged 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  135 

to  go  on  board  a  transport  with  that  traitor  as 
his  commander;  and  that  to  fight  against,  in- 
stead of  for,  his  country." 

"  Oh,  papa,  did  he  go  and  fight  against  his 
country?  "  asked  Elsie,  drawing  a  long  breath 
of  surprise  and  sympathy. 

"  He  had  to  allow  himself  to  be  carried  to 
Virginia  along  with  the  troops  of  the  enemy, 
and,  I  suppose,  to  go  into  battle  with  them," 
replied  the  captain;  "but  I  dare  say  he  was 
careful  not  to  shoot  any  of  the  Americans.  He 
watched  his  opportunity  to  desert,  and  after  a 
time  succeeded  in  so  doing.  He  went  up  into 
the  mountains  of  North  Carolina,  and  when  Lee 
and  his  legion  were  pursuing  Lord  Kawdon,  he 
joined  them.  His  old  comrades  were  greatly 
astonished  to  see  him — a  deserter,  as  they  sup- 
posed— and  that  Major  Lee  gave  him  a  most 
cordial  reception.  But  the  truth  was  soon 
told,  and  then  his  old  corps  showed  the  greatest 
love  and  admiration  for  him.  They  were  very 
proud  of  him,  but  he  was  discharged  from 
service  because  it  was  very  certain  that  the 
British,  if  they  could  get  hold  of  him,  would 
hang  him." 


136  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Is  he  alive  now,  papa?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  Oh,  no,  my  son;  he  died  in  1798 — a  hun- 
dred years  ago.  At  that  time  we  were  threat- 
ened with  a  war  with  France,  and  Washing- 
ton, appointed  to  the  chief  command  of  our 
armies,  sent  to  Colonel  Lee  to  inquire  for 
Champe,  intending  to  make  him  a  captain  of 
infantry.  But  it  was  too  late;  the  hrave  and 
gallant  soldier  had  gone  to  another  world." 

"  Dear  man!  I  hope  he  went  to  heaven! " 
exclaimed  Little  Elsie  in  quivering  tones. 

"  I  hope  so,"  responded  her  father. 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  presently 
broken  by  Ned.  "  Papa,  you  know  you  prom- 
ised to  tell  about  Nathan  Hale;  please  won't 
you  do  it  now?  " 

"I  will,"  replied  the  captain.  "He  was  a 
fine,  brave,  good  young  man;  described  as  very 
handsome — six  feet  tall,  perfectly  proportioned, 
light-blue  eyes  beaming  with  intelligence, 
roseate  complexion,  and  soft  light-brown  hair. 
He  was  overflowing  with  good  humor,  and 
always  ready  to  help  anyone  in  distress.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  education,  his  father  wishing  him 
to  enter  the  ministry;  but  he  was  teaching 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  137 

school  in  New  London  when  the  news  of  the 
Battle  of  Lexington  came.  A  town  meeting 
was  at  once  held,  and  Hale  was  one  of  the 
speakers.  He  urged  prompt  action,  saying, 
'Let  us  march  immediately,  and  never  lay 
down  our  arms  until  we  have  obtained  our 
independence/ 

"  He  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Boston,  and  was 
made  a  captain  in  January,  1776.  He  went  to 
New  York  and  did  good  service  there.  Early 
in  the  fall,  in  response  to  a  call  from  General 
Washington,  he  volunteered  to  enter  the  British 
lines  and  procure  intelligence.  Disguised  as  a 
schoolmaster  and  loyalist,  he  visited  all  of  the 
British  camps  on  Long  Island  and  in  New 
York,  openly  making  observations,  drawings, 
and  memoranda  of  fortifications.  When  he  had 
about  finished  his  work,  he  was  seized  by  the 
British  and  taken  before  Sir  William  Howe. 
On  the  evidence  of  papers  found  in  his  shoes, 
he  was  condemned  as  a  spy,  and  Sir  William  or- 
dered him  to  be  hanged.  He  asked  for  a  Bible, 
but  it  was  refused  him,  nor  would  they  let  him 
see  a  minister.  He  had  written  letters  to  hia 
sisters  and  to  his  betrothed,  but  his  cruel  cap- 


138  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

tors  destroyed  them  before  his  eyes.  That  last 
was  done  by  William  Cunningham— one  of  the 
most  notoriously  cruel  Tories  of  the  war.  He 
afterward  gave  as  his  reason  for  that  act  of 
cruelty  that  he  meant  the  rebels  should  never 
know  they  had  a  man  who  could  die  with  such 
firmness. 

"  As  Hale  mounted  the  scaffold  he  said, '  You 
are  shedding  the  blood  of  the  innocent;  if  I 
had  a  thousand  lives  I  would  lay  them  down  in 
the  defence  of  my  injured,  bleeding  country J; 
and  his  last  words  were,  '  I  only  regret  that  I 
have  but  one  life  to  lose  for  my  country.* 

ie  A  country  that  may  well  remember  him 
with  love  and  pride,"  said  Grandma  Elsie. 

ee  Oh,  what  wicked,  wicked  things  they  do  in 
war  times! "  sighed  Little  Elsie. 

"Yes,"  said  her  grandma;  "war  is  itself  a 
wicked  thing:  wholesale  murder — sometimes  on 
both  sides,  always  on  one." 

"When  the  folks  on  one  side  are  fighting 
for  freedom,  that's  right,  isn't  it?"  asked 
Eric. 

"  Yes;  everyone  not  a  criminal  has  a  right  to 
life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  13& 

"  Is  it  right  to  hang  a  man  just  for  being  a 
spy?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  Not  always,  I'm  sure,"  exclaimed  Eric. 
"It  wasn't  right  to  hang  Nathan  Hale,  I'm 
sure,  for  he  was  a  good  man,  and  only  doing 
what  he  could  to  save  his  country." 

"  Very  true,"  said  his  father;  "  and  he  is  now 
one  whose  memory  is  cherished  and  honored, 
while  that  of  Cunningham — his  cruel  execu- 
tioner— is  abhorred." 

"I'd  rather  be  entirely  forgotten  than  re- 
membered as  a  cruel,  wicked  wretch! "  ex- 
claimed Eric. 

"Yes;  as  any  right-minded  person  would," 
said  his  father. 


CHAPTER  VIH. 

SHORTLY  after  breakfast  the  next  morning 
the  whole  party  were  on  the  yacht,  and  it  was 
speeding  down  the  river.  "West  Point  was  their 
first  halting-place.  Some  hours  were  spent 
there;  they  were  just  in  time  for  the  hattery 
drill;  after  that  they  climbed  to  the  top  of 
Mount  Independence,  enjoyed  the  view,  and 
visited  the  ruins  of  "  Old  Fort  Put ";  came 
down,  and  then  went  back  to  their  yacht,  prom- 
ising themselves  another  and  longer  visit  to 
West  Point  some  days  later. 

The  captain  pointed  out  the  sites  of  forts 
Montgomery  and  Clinton  as  they  passed,  and 
told  of  their  building  by  the  Americans  during 
the  War  of  the  Revolution  and  their  destruc- 
tion by  the  British  in  1777. 

"As  Lossing  tells  us,"  said  Captain  Ray- 
mond, " '  They  fell  beneath  one  heavy  blow 
suddenly  and  artfully  dealt  by  a  British  force 
from  New  York,  and  the  smitten  garrison  were 

140 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  141 

scattered  like  frightened  sheep  upon  the 
mountains.' '; 

"  Oh,  papa,  surely  they  didn't  surrender  with- 
out fighting  at  all  ?  "  exclaimed  Lulu. 

"  No  indeed,  daughter;  they  fought  long  and 
desperately.  General  James  Clinton  and  his 
brother  George  were  their  commanders.  As  I 
have  told  you  before,  I  think,  General  Clinton 
established  his  headquarters  at  a  place  called 
Washington  Square,  about  four  miles  west  of 
the  village  of  New  Windsor,  and  there  collected 
his  dispersed  troops  preparatory  to  marching 
to  the  relief  of  Kingston,  then  threatened  by 
the  enemy." 

"  But  they  didn't  get  there  in  time  to  save  it 
from  being  burned  by  the  British,"  said  Ed- 
ward Leland.  "  What  dreadful  times  those 
were! " 

"Yes,"  said  Grandma  Elsie;  "we  may  be 
very  thankful  that  we  live  in  these  better  days. 
And  in  the  best  and  freest  country  in  the  world; 
which  it  wouldn't  have  been,  if  God  had  not 
been  for  us  in  those  days  of  trial." 

It  was  a  pleasant  morning,  and  all  sat  under 
an  awning  on  the  deck,  preferring  it  as  the 


142  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

breeziest  spot  and  affording  the  best  view  of  the 
beautiful  country  on  either  side  with  its  many 
historical  associations.  Captain  Eaymond 
drew  attention  to  Verplanck's  and  Stony  points 
as  they  passed  them. 

"  Yonder  is  Verplanck's  Point/'  he  said; 
"  and  there,  overlooking  the  river,  stood,  in. 
Eevolutionary  times,  Fort  Fayette;  and  yonder, 
oil  the  other  side,  is  Stony  Point,  where  was 
another  small  fort.  They  were  captured  by  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  on  the  1st  of  June,  1779.  The 
garrison  of  Stony  Point  consisted  of  only  forty 
men,  and  that  at  Verplanck's  of  seventy,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Armstrong.  The  British 
flotilla  was  commanded  by  Admiral  Collier. 
The  troops  landed  in  two  divisions  on  the 
morning  of  May  31 — the  one,  under  Vaughan, 
on  the  east  side  eight  miles  below  Verplanck's; 
the  other,  under  Clinton,  on  the  west  side  a 
little  above  Haverstraw.  There  was  no  fight  at 
Stony  Point,  as  the  garrison  retired  to  the 
Highlands,  knowing  that  the  forces  of  the 
enemy  were  too  overwhelming  to  be  successfully 
resisted.  The  British  took  possession;  dragged 
up  cannon  and  mortars  during  the  night; 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  143 

pointed  them  and  the  guns  found  in  the  fortress 
toward  Fort  Fayette,  and  in  the  morning  began 
a  heavy  cannonade  upon  it.  At  the  same  time 
the  fort  was  attacked  in  the  rear  by  Vaughan 
and  his  troops,  and  the  little  garrison  sur- 
rendered themselves  prisoners  of  war. 

"  The  loss  of  these  forts  was  a  grief  to  Wash- 
ington, and  he  determined  to  make  an  effort  to 
recover  them,  for  their  loss  endangered  West 
Point.  He  soon  ordered  an  attack  upon  them 
by  the  Americans  under  the  command  of  Gen- 
erals Wayne  and  Howe.  Wayne  had  his  quar- 
ters at  Sandy  Beach,  fourteen  miles  from  Stony 
Point,  and  on  the  morning  of  July  15  all  the 
Massachusetts  light  infantry  was  marched  to 
that  place.  It  was  an  exceedingly  sultry  day, 
and  the  march — begun  at  noon,  taking  them 
through  narrow  defiles,  over  rough  crags,  and 
across  deep  morasses — must  have  been  hard  in- 
deed; they  moved  in  single  file  and  at  eight  in 
the  evening  rendezvoused  a  mile  and  a  half  be- 
low Stony  Point.  They  rested  there  while 
Wayne  and  several  other  officers  reconnoitred 
the  enemy's  works.  Then  they  formed  into* 
column,  and  moved  silently  forward  under  the 


144  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

guidance  of  a  negro  slave  belonging  to  a  Cap- 
tain Lamb  living  in  the  neighborhood." 

"  New  York  was  a  slave  State  at  that  time?  " 
exclaimed  Sydney  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Captain  Eaymond;  "  England 
had  forced  slavery  upon  her  Colonies  here,  and 
it  was  not  yet  abolished.  Captain  Lamb  was  a 
warm  Whig,  and  Pompey  seems  to  have  been 
one  also.  Soon  after  the  British  took  posses- 
sion of  the  fort,  he  ventured  to  carry  straw- 
berries there  for  sale;  the  men  of  the  garrison 
were  glad  to  get  them,  and  Pompey  became 
quite  a  favorite  with  the  officers,  who  had  no 
suspicion  that  he  was  regularly  reporting  every- 
thing to  his  master. 

"  At  length  Pompey  told  them  that  his  mas- 
ter would  not  allow  him  to  come  with  his  fruit 
in  the  daytime,  because  it  was  now  hoeing-corn 
season.  The  officers,  unwilling  to  lose  their 
supply  of  luxuries,  then  gave  him  their  counter- 
sign regularly  so  that  he  could  pass  the  sentries 
in  the  evening.  He  had  it  on  the  night  of  the 
attack,  and  gave  it  to  the  Americans,  who  used 
it  as  their  watchword  when  they  scaled  the 
ramparts.  It  was  '  The  fort's  our  own/  " 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  145 

"  And  they  could  say  it  with  truth,"  laughed 
Lucilla;  "  for  the  fort  was  really  theirs — stolen 
from  them  by  the  British." 

"  The  fortress  seemed  almost  impregnable/* 
resumed  her  father;  "  built  upon  a  huge  rocky 
bluff,  an  island  at  high  water,  and  always  inac- 
cessible dryshod, — except  across  a  narrow  cause- 
way in  the  rear, — it  was  strongly  defended  by 
outworks  and  a  double  row  of  abatis.  There 
was  a  deep  and  dangerous  morass  on  one  side, 
and  on  the  other  three  were  the  waters  of  the 
Hudson." 

"And  was  the  rock  too  high  and  steep  to 
climb,  papa?  "  asked  Ned. 

"Yes,  indeed!  But  our  men  were  brave 
and  persevering  fellows;  Wayne,  their  leader, 
believed  in  the  old  saying  '  Where  there's  a  will 
there's  a  way.'  He  practiced  upon  that,  and 
in  consequence  was  very  successful.  He  was  so 
rapid  and  earnest  in  what  he  did  that  people 
took  to  calling  him  '  Mad  Anthony  Wayne.' 

"  Now,  he  resolved  to  storm  this  fort  at  all 
hazards,  as  Lossing  says,  and  only  waited  for 
the  ebbing  of  the  tide  and  the  deep  first  slum- 
ber of  the  garrison. 


146  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"At  half -past  eleven  o'clock  that  night  the 
Americans  began  a  silent  march  toward  the 
fort.  Two  strong  men  disguised  as  farmers, 
and  the  negro  Pompey,  went  first.  There  was 
no  barking  of  dogs  to  arouse  the  garrison,  for 
they  had  all  been  killed — all  in  that  neighbor- 
hood— the  day  before.  Pompey  gave  the  coun- 
tersign to  the  first  sentinel  on  the  high  ground 
west  of  the  morass,  then  the  two  disguised  men 
suddenly  seized  and  gagged  him.  The  same 
thing  was  done  with  the  sentinel  at  the  cause- 
way. Then,  as  soon  as  the  tide  ebbed  suffi- 
ciently, the  greater  part  of  Wayne's  little  army 
crossed  the  morass  at  the  foot  of  the  western 
declivity  of  the  promontory,  no  one  among  the 
enemy  observing  them.  Three  hundred  men 
under  General  Huhlenburg  remained  as  a  re- 
serve in  the  rear.  The  troops  were  divided  into 
two  columns — all  with  unloaded  muskets  and 
fixed  bayonets.  At  a  little  past  midnight  the 
advance  parties  moved  silently  to  the  charge, 
one  on  the  northern  and  the  other  on  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  height.  The  two  main  divisions 
followed  them,  one  led  by  Wayne  himself.  The 
Americans  were  not  discovered  by  the  British 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  147 

until  they  were  within  pistol  shot  of  the  pickets 
on  the  heights,  when  a  skirmish  took  place  be- 
tween the  advance  guards  and  the  sen- 
tinels. 

"  The  Americans  used  only  their  bayonets, 
as  they  had  been  ordered,  but  the  pickets  fired 
several  shots;  and  those  sounds  of  strife  waked 
the  garrison,  and  the  silence  of  the  night  was 
broken  by  the  loud  cry  '  To  arms!  to  arms! ' 
the  roll  of  the  drum,  the  rattle  of  musketry 
from  the  ramparts  and  the  abatis,  and  the  roar 
of  the  cannon,  charged  with  deadly  grapeshot, 
from  the  embrasures.  It  was  a  terrible  storm, 
but  our  brave  fellows  forced  their  way 
through  it — through  every  obstacle — until  the 
vans  of  all  the  columns  met  in  the  centre  of  the 
works,  where  they  arrived  at  the  same  time. 
Each  of  our  men  had  a  white  paper  in  his  hat 
which,  as  it  could  be  seen  in  the  dim  light,  en- 
abled him  to  distinguish  friend  from  foe." 

"I  think  "Wayne  was  wounded  in  the  fight, 
•wasn't  he  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Leland. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  captain;  "at  the  inner 
abatis  he  was  struck  on  the  head  by  a  musket 
ball,  the  blow  causing  him  to  fall  to  his  knees, 


148  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

His  aides,  Fishbow  and  Archer,  raised  him  to 
his  feet  and  carried  him  gallantly  through  the 
works.  He  believed  himself  mortally  wounded, 
and  exclaimed  as  he  arose,  '  March  on,  carry 
me  into  the  fort,  for  I  will  die  at  the  head  of 
my  column! '  But,  fortunately,  he  was  not  so 
badly  wounded  as  he  supposed,  and  was  able  to 
join  in  the  loud  huzzas  which  arose  when 
the  two  victorious  columns  met  within  the 
fort. 

"  The  garrison  surrendered  as  prisoners  of 
war,  and  I  am  glad  and  proud  to  say  were 
treated  with  clemency  by  the  victors.  Not  a 
life  was  taken  after  the  flag  was  struck  and 
quarter  asked  for." 

"Was  anybody  killed  before  that,  papa?" 
asked  Little  Elsie  in  anxious  tones. 

"  Yes,  daughter,"  he  replied;  "15  Americana 
lost  their  lives  and  83  were  wounded;  63  of  the 
British  were  killed  and  their  commander  and 
543  officers  and  men  taken  prisoners.  Down  in 
the  river  below  were  some  British  vessels. 
They  slipped  their  cables  and  moved  down  to 
a  place  of  security. 

"  So  prompt  was  Wayne  that  he  did  not  wait 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  149 

for  daylight  to  send  in  his  report  to  Washing- 
ton. 'Dear  General:  The  fort  and  garrison, 
with  Colonel  Johnson  are  ours.  Our  officers 
and  men  behaved  like  men  who  are  determined 
to  be  free/  was  what  he  wrote." 

"  Oh,  I  like  that!  It  reminds  me  of  Perry's 
despatch  to  Harrison  after  his  victory  on  Lake 
Erie,"  exclaimed  Lucilla. 

"Did  our  people  get  back  the  other  fort, 
uncle?"  asked  Eric. 

"  No;  the  guns  of  the  Stony  Point  fort  were 
turned  upon  it  at  dawn  the  next  morning  and 
a  desultory  firing  kept  up  during  the  day,  but 
delays  and  misunderstandings  prevented  an  in- 
tended attack  from  being  made  in  time  to  dis- 
lodge the  garrison;  Sir  Henry  Clinton  getting 
news  of  their  danger  in  time  to  send  them  help. 

"Washington  saw  that  we  could  not  retain 
Stony  Point,  because  he  could  not  spare  enough 
troops  to  hold  it;  so  he  ordered  the  stores  and 
ordnance  to  be  removed,  the  fortress  to  be  evac- 
uated, and  the  works  destroyed;  all  of  which 
was  accordingly  done  on  the  night  of  the  18th." 

"And  did  the  British  find  out  what  was 
going  on  and  attack  our  fellows?  "  asked  Eric, 


150  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"Yes;  the  heavy  ordnance  was  placed  upon 
a  galley  to  be  conveyed  to  West  Point;  but  as 
soon  as  it  moved  a  cannonade  began  from  Ver- 
planck's  and  the  British  shipping  near  by.  A 
heavy  shot  from  the  Vulture  struck  the  galley 
below  water  mark,  and  she  went  down  near 
Caldwell's  Landing.  The  British  again  took 
possession  of  Stony  Point,  but  little  of  value 
was  left  them  there  except  the  eligible  site  for 
a  fortification." 

"  Wayne  was  very  much  praised  for  the  tak- 
ing of  Stony  Point,  wasn't  he,  papa?"  asked 
Grace. 

"Yes;  the  storming  and  capture  of  Stony 
Point  was  esteemed  one  of  the  most  brilliant  ex- 
ploits of  the  war, — an  exhibition  of  skill  and  in- 
domitable courage, — and  General  Wayne,  tho 
leader  of  the  enterprise,  was  everywhere  greeted 
with  rapturous  applause.  Congress  gave  him  a 
vote  of  thanks.  It  also  resolved  that  a  gold 
medal,  emblematic  of  that  action,  be  struck  and 
presented  to  General  Wayne.  Also,  rewards 
were  given  to  the  other  officers  and  to  the 
men." 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  151 

"Papa,  wasn't  the  home  of  Captain  Molly 
somewhere  in  this  neighborhood?"  asked  Grace. 

"  Ye&;  Lossing  tells  us  that  she  lived,  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  between  Fort  Montgomery  and 
Buttermilk  Falls,  and  was  generally  dressed  in  a 
woman's  petticoats  with  an  artilleryman's  coat 
over  them — perhaps  an  old  one  of  her  hus- 
band's, for  he  was  a  cannonier.  They  were  both 
in  Fort  Clinton  when  it  was  taken  by  the  Brit- 
ish. When  the  Americans  retreated  and  the 
British  scaled  the  ramparts,  her  husband 
dropped  his  match  and  fled.  Molly  picked  it 
up.  touched  on*  the  piece,  then  scampered  after 
him  and  the  others.  As  you  probably  remem- 
ber, she  was  again  with  her  husband  in  the 
Battle  of  Monmouth,  and  when  he  was  shot 
down  took  his  place  at  the  cannon  and  worked 
it  through  the  rest  of  the  engagement.  For 
that  act  of  braver}-  Washington  rewarded  her 
with  a  sergeant's  commission." 

"I  think  she  deserved  it"  said  Grace.  "I 
admire  her  bravery,  but  I  don't  know  what 
would  tempt  me  to  go  into  a  battle." 

"  I  should  be  sorry  indeed  to  have  you  go  into 


152  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

one,"  returned  her  father,  regarding  her  with  a 
fond  smile. 

The  yacht  was  now  moving  rapidly  down  the 
river,  all  on  board  greatly  enjoying  the  beau- 
tiful scenery.  They  landed  at  Tarrytown  and 
visited  the  historical  spots  in  its  vicinity,  among 
them  the  scene  of  Andre's  capture  and  the 
monument  to  his  captors. 

"  Why  did  they  name  this  place  Tarry-town, 
uncle?  "  asked  Eric. 

"  Probably  from  the  fact  that  a  great  deal  of 
wheat  was  raised  in  the  vicinity.  '  Tarwe 
Town ' — meaning  wheat  town — was  what  the 
early  Dutch  settlers  called  it. 

"  Those  living  here  in  Eevolutionary  days 
8aw  stormy  scenes.  There  were  lawless  bands 
of  marauders  called  Cowboys  and  Skinners  in- 
festing the  Neutral  Ground,  which  extended 
for  thirty  miles  along  the  river  and  was  plun- 
dered by  both  bands  of  outlaws  without  much, 
if  any,  regard  to  their  victims'  loyalty  or  dis- 
loyalty to  the  country." 

"  Those  were  bad  times  to  live  in,"  remarked 
Little  Elsie.  "I'd  a  great  deal  rather  live  in 
these;  though  I  should  like  to  have  seen  Wash- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  108 

ington  and  Wayne  and  Lafayette  and — oh,  all 
the  rest  of  the  good,  brave  men  who  did  so 
much  to  save  our  country! " 

"  Yes,"  said  Grandma  Elsie,  "  but  though  we 
cannot  see  them  here,  we  may  hope  to  meet  at 
least  some  of  them  in  another  and  a  better 
world." 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

A  PLEASANT  surprise  awaited  onr  party  on 
their  return  to  Crag  Cottage  that  evening,  the 
bride  and  groom — Eosie  and  her  husband — 
having  arrived  during  their  absence.  Every- 
body was  glad  to  see  them;  and,  with  the  ac- 
commodations of  the  yacht  to  supplement  those 
of  the  house,  there  was  room  and  to  spare. 

Finding  such  to  be  the  case,  and  that  it  was 
very  pleasant  to  be  together,  all  remained  Eve- 
lyn's guests  for  another  week,  in  which  a  great 
deal  of  time  was  passed  upon  the  river 
taking  repeated  views  of  beautiful  historic 
scenes. 

But  at  length  they  separated  for  a  time — 
some  remaining  where  they  were;  some  going  to 
the  seashore;  while  Grandma  Elsie  and  the  Eay- 
monds,  leaving  the  yacht  at  New  York  City, 
crossed  the  mountains  into  Pennsylvania, 
visited  some  historical  scenes  in  that  State,  then 
traveled  on  through  Ohio  from  south  to  north. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  15S 

spent  a  few  weeks  among  the  islands  of  Lake 
Erie;  then,  the  yacht  having  come  to  them 
again  by  the  northern  route,  returned  home  in 
it  by  way  of  the  Welland  Canal,  the  St.  Law- 
rence Eiver,  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  On  their 
route  through  Pennsylvania  they  spent  a  few 
days  at  Pocono,  visiting  the  points  of  interest 
about  there.  Wilkesbarre  was  their  next  stop- 
ping place,  for  they  all  wanted  to  see  the  beau- 
tiful Valley  of  Wyoming. 

"Is  Wyoming  an  English  name?"  asked 
Elsie  Eaymond,  as  they  drove  through  the 
valley. 

"No,"  said  her  father;  "it  comes  from  the 
language  of  the  Delawares,  and  means  ( large 
plains.'  It  is  probable  that  the  Delawares  were 
the  first  tribe  which  lived  there." 

"And  is  Wilkesbarre  an  Indian  name  too? " 
she  asked. 

"  No;  it  is  a  compound  of  the  names  of  two 
Englishmen  who  were  good  friends  to  America 
in  the  times  of  the  Revolution — John  Wilkes 
and  Colonel  Barre. 

"  The  first  European  to  visit  the  valley  was 
Count  Zinzendorf,"  continued  the  captain. 


156  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"He  was  of  an  ancient  Austrian  family.  He 
was  a  Christian  man  and  very  earnest  in  trying 
to  do  good.  He  travelled  'through  Germany, 
Denmark,  and  England,  and  in  1741  came  to 
America  and  preached  at  Bethlehem  and  Ger- 
mantown.  He  was  very  desirous  to  do  the  poor 
Indians  good,  so  travelled  about  among  them, 
though  he  had  no  companions  except  an  inter- 
preter. In  one  of  these  excursions  he  crossed 
the  Pocono,  and  came  into  this  Valley  of 
Wyoming.  At  this  time  he  had  with  him  a 
missionary  named  Mack  and  his  wife.  They 
pitched  their  tent  upon  the  western  bank  of  the 
Susquehanna,  at  the  foot  of  a  high  hill  and  near 
a  place  in  the  river  known  as  Toby's  Eddy. 

"Not  very  far  away  was  a  Shawnee  village. 
The  Indians  held  a  council  there  to  hear  what 
these  missionaries  had  to  say,  but  could  not  be- 
lieve that  they  had  come  all  the  way  across  the 
Atlantic  just  to  teach  religious  truth  to 
them.  The  conclusion  they  came  to  was  that 
these  strangers  had  come  to  spy  out  their  coun- 
try and  rob  them  of  their  lands.  Thinking 
thus,  they  made  up  their  minds  to  murder  the 
count.  But  they  feared  the  English,  there- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  157 

fore  instructed  those  appointed  to  do  the  deed 
to  be  very  secret  about  it. 

"On  a  cool  September  night  two  stout  In- 
dians went  stealthily  from  the  town  to  the  mis- 
sionary's temporary  dwelling — a  tent  with  a 
blanket  hung  across  the  doorway.  They  drew 
the  blanket  stealthily  aside  and  peeped  in. 
They  made  no  noise,  and  he  was  not  aware  of 
their  presence,  as  he  reclined  on  a  bundle  of 
weeds  engaged  in  writing  or  in  devout  medita- 
tion. 

"As  Lossing  says:  'The  benignity  of  his 
countenance  filled  them  with  awe,  but  an  inci- 
dent (strikingly  providential),  more  than  his 
appearance,  changed  the  current  of  their  feel- 
ings. The  tent  cloth  was  suspended  from  the 
branches  of  a  huge  sycamore  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  hollow  trunk  of  the  tree  was  within  its 
folds.  At  its  foot  the  count  had  built  a  fire, 
the  warmth  of  which  had  aroused  a  rattlesnake 
in  its  den;  and  at  the  moment  when  the  savages 
looked  into  the  tent  the  venomous  reptile  was 
gliding  harmlessly  across  the  legs  of  their  in- 
tended victim,  who  did  not  see  either  the  ser- 
pent or  the  lurking  murderers.  At  that  sight 


158  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

they  at  once  entirely  changed  their  opinion  of 
him  and  regarded  him  as  under  the  special  pro- 
tection of  the  Great  Spirit.'  They  were  filled 
with  profound  reverence  for  him,  and  went  hack 
to  their  tribe  with  such  an  account  of  his  holi- 
ness that  their  enmity  was  changed  to  venera- 
tion." 

"  And  I  think  history  says  a  successful  mis- 
sion was  established  there/'  remarked  Grandma 
Elsie,  as  the  captain  paused,  as  if  at  the  end  of 
his  story. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "and  it  was  continued 
until  a  war  between  the  Shawnees  and  the 
Delawares  destroyed  the  peace  of  the  valley." 

"What  was  that  war  about,  papa?"  asked 
Ned. 

"  Like  many  others  it  was  about  a  very 
foolish  thing,"  replied  the  captain.  "  The 
Shawnees  were  a  not  very  powerful  tribe,  and 
lived  by  permission  of  the  Delawares  on  the 
western  bank  of  the  Susquehanna.  One  day 
the  warriors  of  both  tribes  were  hunting  upon 
the  mountains  when  a  party  of  women  and 
children  of  the  Shawnees  crossed  to  the 
Delaware  side  to  gather  fruit,  and  were 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  159 

joined  by  some  of  the  Delaware  squaws  and 
children.  After  a  while  two  of  the  chil- 
dren— a  Shawnee  and  a  Delaware — got  into 
a  quarrel  over  a  grasshopper.  Then  the 
mothers  took  part, — the  Shawnees  on  one  side, 
the  Delawares  on  the  other, — and  the  Dela- 
wares,  who  were  the  more  numerous,  drove  the 
Shawnees  home,  killing  several  on  the  way. 
When  the  Shawnee  hunters  came  home,  saw 
their  dead  women,  and  heard  the  sad  story, 
they  were  very  angry,  crossed  the  river,  and  at- 
tacked the  Delawares.  A  bloody  battle  fol- 
lowed; the  Shawnees  were  beaten,  and  retreated 
to  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  where  lived  a  larger 
portion  of  their  tribe." 

"  There  are  not  many  more  historic  scenes  in 
this  State  that  we  will  care  to  visit  at  this  time, 
are  there,  papa?  "  asked  Grace. 

"  I  think  not,"  he  said;  "  we  are  going  west, 
and  most  of  them  are  already  east  of  us." 

"  But,  father,"  said  Lucilla,  "  we  have  hardly 
.touched  upon  the  history  of  Wyoming." 

"  True/'  he  returned;  "  but  it  is  so  very  sad 
that  I  fear  its  recital  would  rather  detract  from 
the  enjoyment  of  this  lovely  scenery.  How- 


160  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

ever,  I  will  give  you  a  brief  account  of  what 
took  place  here  during  the  Eevolutionary  War. 

"Early  in  the  summer  of  1778  the  move- 
ments of  Brant  and  his  warriors,  the  Johnsons 
and  Butlers  and  their  Tory  legions,  upon  the 
upper  waters  of  the  Susquehanna,  and  the 
actions  of  the  Tories  in  the  Wyoming  Valley, 
greatly  alarmed  the  people.  Nearly  all  their 
able-bodied  men  were  away  in  the  Continental 
Army;  none  was  left  to  defend  the  valley  but 
old  men,  boys,  and  women.  Afraid  of  the  sav- 
ages, they  were  building  six  forts,  going  through 
all  the  labor  required  in  that  work  without 
payment  except  the  hope  of  self-defence. 

"Such  was  their  condition  when  in  June, 
1778,  an  expedition  of  Tories  and  Indians  was 
ready  to  come  down  upon  them.  All  this  was 
told  to  Congress.  Wyoming  men  in  the  army 
besought  protection  for  their  wives  and  little 
ones,  and  General  Schuyler  wrote  a  touching 
letter  in  their  behalf.  But  all  Congress  did 
was  to  pass  resolutions  to  let  the  people 
take  measures  for  self-defence  by  raising  troops 
among  themselves,  and  finding  their  own  arms, 
accoutrements,  and  blankets. 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  161 

"The  people — poor  creatures! — did  their 
best;  but,  attacked  by  overwhelming  numbers 
of  the  most  savage  foes,  they  went  through  ter- 
tible  scenes  and  sufferings.  I  will  not  dwell 
further  upon  the  horrors  of  that  dreadful  time. 
The  Tories  and  Indians  acted  like  fiends.  Los- 
sing,  speaking  of  what  occurred  after  the  fight 
and  surrender,  says:  *  The  terms  of  capitulation 
were  respected  by  the  invaders,  particularly  the 
Indians,  for  a  few  hours  only.  Before  night 
they  spread  through  the  valley,  plundering  and 
burning.' }i 

"Did  the  women  and  children  run  away, 
papa?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  Yes;  they  fled  to  the  mountains,  and  many 
of  them  perished  in  the  Pocono  Mountain 
swamp,  known  as  the  Shades  of  Death,  and 
along  the  wilderness  paths  by  the  way  of  the 
Wind  Gap  and  Water  Gap.  They  were  flying 
to  the  settlements  on  the  Lehigh  and  Delaware. 
They  were  not  travelling  like  ourselves — in  an 
easy  carriage,  with  abundance  of  food  and 
clothing;  and  many  died  from  hunger  and  ex- 
haustion." 

"  Some  of  their  clothes  had  been  taken  by  the 


162  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

Indians,"  remarked  Violet.  "I  remember 
reading  that  many  squaws  had  on  from  four  to 
six  dresses  of  silk  or  chintz,  one  over  the  other; 
and  some  four  or  five  bonnets,  one  over  an- 
other." 

"  Papa,  are  we  going  to  visit  any  more  places 
in  this  State  where  they  had  fights? "  asked 
Ned. 

"  Where  there  were  battles  fought,  son?  No, 
I  think  not  at  this  time.  We  will  probably  go 
on  into  Ohio  now  without  any  more  delays." 

"  There  were  some  fights  there — weren't 
there,  papa?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"Yes;  between  the  whites  and  the  Indians, 
and  between  the  Americans  and  the  British  and 
Indians,  in  the  war  of  1812—14." 

"  Yes,  children,"  said  Lucilla;  "  don't  you  re- 
member papa's  telling  us  about  some  of  the 
fights  near  Lake  Erie,  and  Perry's  victory  on 
the  lake?" 

"  Oh,  yee! "  exclaimed  both  the  little  ones; 
"  and  his  letter  to  General  Harrison — '  We  have 
met  the  enemy  and  they  are  ours.'  And  you'll 
tell  us  about  the  land  fights,  won't  you, 
papa?  " 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  163 

"  Yes,"  he  said;  "  one  of  these  days;  probably 
while  we  are  in  Ohio." 

"  Are  we  going  right  on  now  to  the  islands  in 
Lake  Erie,  papa?  "  asked  Grace. 

"  Unless  some  one  or  more  of  us  should  desire 
to  stop  by  the  way,"  returned  the  captain 
pleasantly. 

"  Perhaps  it  would  be  more  restful  to  pass  a 
night  at  Pittsburg  or  Cincinnati,"  suggested 
Grandma  Elsie;  and  that  was  what  was  de- 
cided upon,  after  a  little  discussion  of  the 
question. 

They  rested  in  Cleveland  for  another  night; 
then,  on  a  bright  morning,  passed  over  to  the 
islands  in  a  steamer.  A  pleasant  surprise 
awaited  them  on  landing;  their  cousin  Eonald 
Lilburn  was  there  with  his  wife  Annis  and 
her  grandnephew,  Percy  Landreth.  The  last- 
named  was  one  whom  Captain  Eaymond  would 
have  preferred  not  to  have  in  the  company, — 
but  merely  on  Lucilla's  account, — and  he 
greeted  him  with  cordial  kindness. 

"  We  have  given  you  a  surprise,  haven't  we?  " 
asked  Mrs.  Lilburn  of  her  cousin  Elsie. 

"Yes;  a  most  pleasant  one,"  replied  Mra. 


164  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

Travilla,  "  I  can  truly  say  I  think  your  pres- 
ence here  will  double  our  enjoyment.  How 
long  since  you  arrived?  " 

"  Only  about  twenty-four  hours.  We  came 
straight  from  home,  where  we  left  all  your 
dear  ones  well." 

"  Ah,  that  is  good  news!  It  is  a  new  thing 
for  me  to  be  so  far  away  from  my  dear  father; 
and  he  is  growing  old;  so  I  have  been  feeling  a 
little  anxious  about  him." 

"  He  evidently  misses  you,  but  is  glad  that 
you  are  enjoying  yourself,"  said  Annis. 

"  Yes!  so  unselfish  as  he  is — my  dear  father! 
Ah,  how  lovely  it  is  here! "  glancing  about  as 
she  spoke.  "  No  doubt  we  can  pass  some  days 
or  weeks  here  very  delightfully." 

"  I  am  quite  sure  of  it,  mother,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, who  had  overheard  the  remark,  made  as 
they  all  were  on  their  way  from  the  landing  to 
the  hotel.  "  We  will  have  the  yacht  here  in  a 
day  or  two,  I  think;  and  it  will  afford  us  some 
pleasant  trips  here  and  there  on  the  lake." 

"And  carry  us  to  some  historical  scenes, 
won't  it,  papa?  "  asked  Grace  in  a  tone  of  satis- 
faction. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  165 

"Yes,"  he  replied;  "and  we  will  live  on  it, 
unless  the  majority  of  our  company  should  pre- 
fer the  hotel." 

"  No  danger  of  that,  I  think,"  said  Grandma 
Elsie;  "  we  all  feel  so  much  at  home  and  find 
ourselves  so  comfortable  on  the  yacht." 

"I  don't  wonder  that  you  prefer  it,"  said 
Annis;  "  but  I  was  hoping  you  would  all  be  at 
the  hotel  with  us." 

"  Are  you  not  willing  to  be  on  the  Dolphin 
with  us?  "  asked  the  captain,  giving  her  a  cor- 
dial look  and  smile. 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  should  like  nothing  better — 
except  for  the  fear  of  crowding  you." 

"I  think  that  is  beyond  your  ability," 
laughed  the  captain.  "Even  joined  by  all 
three  of  you,  we  should  have  more  room  than 
we  have  had  in  some  of  our  trips  which  we 
found  very  enjoyable." 

"  Then  we  accept  your  kind  invitation  with 
the  greatest  pleasure,"  said  Mr.  lalburn;  and 
there  the  conversation  ended,  as  they  were 
already  at  the  entrance  to  the  hotel. 

They  spent  a  pleasant  day  in  and  about  there, 
but  early  in  the  evening  the  Dolphin  made  her 


166  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

appearance,  and  they  all  went  aboard  of  her— 
a  blithe  and  happy  company. 

The  morning  found  them  all  in  good  health 
and  good  spirits,  and  as  they  sat  about  the 
breakfast  table  the  captain  asked:  "Where 
shall  we  go  to-day?  I  think  it  would  be  well 
to  take  the  little  trips  we  contemplate  while  the 
weather  is  so  favorable.  Then  when  a  storm 
comes  we  can  shut  ourselves  in  and  enjoy  books, 
work,  and  each  other's  company." 

"  I  think  that  is  a  good  suggestion,  captain," 
said  Grandma  Elsie.  "  Suppose  you  take  ua 
to-day  to  Fremont,  to  view  the  ground  where 
Fort  Stephenson  stood." 

Everyone  present  seemed  pleased  with  the 
proposition,  and  it  was  decided  to  make  the 
little  excursion  that  morning.  They  could  go 
nearly  all  the  way  in  their  yacht,  by  lake  and 
river,  and  shortly  after  breakfast  found  them- 
selves in  motion — the  Dolphin  having  lain 
quietly  at  anchor  during  the  night. 

"I,  for  one,  should  like  to  refresh  my 
memory  in  regard  to  Fort  Stephenson:  when  it 
was  built,  by  whom  attacked,  and  how  de- 
fended," remarked  Annis,  as  they  sat  together 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON,  16J 

on  the  deck  while  sailing  toward  Sandusky  Bay. 
"  Captain  Kaymond,  you  are  usually  the  story 
teller,  I  believe." 

"  Ah,  Cousin  Annis,  that  is  a  fine  character 
you  give  me,"  he  returned  with  a  smile.  "  But 
perhaps  I  deserve  it.  Do  all  the  company  feel 
the  same  desire  that  Mrs.  Lilburn  has  just  ex- 
pressed?" 

"  I  do,"  said  Grandma  Elsie;  "  and  from  the 
expression  of  the  faces  of  the  others  present  I 
am  quite  sure  that  they  do  also." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  papa;  I  am  sure  we  do!  "  cried 
Lucilla  and  Grace  in  a  breath,  Percy  Landreth, 
Elsie,  and  Ned  joining  eagerly  in  the  request; 
and  the  captain  at  once  began. 

"  Jb'ort  Stephenson  was  built  in  1812;  the  gar- 
rison consisted  of  160  men  under  the  com- 
mand of  Major  George  Croghan,  then  but 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  It  was  on  the  31st 
of  July,  1813,  that  it  was  invested  by  a 
large  force  of  British  and  Indians  under  the 
command  of  Proctor.  The  fort  was  not  a 
strong  one;  its  chief  defences  were  three  block 
houses,  circumvallating  pickets  from  fourteen 
to  sixteen  feet  high,  and  a  ditch  about  eight 


168  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

feet  wide  and  as  many  feet  deep;  they  had  one 
iron  six-pounder  cannon.  Of  course,  swords 
and  rifles  were  not  lacking,  and  the  men  were 
Kentucky  sharpshooters. 

"  General  Harrison  heard  that  the  British 
were  moving  against  Fort  Stephenson.  He  had 
visited  the  fort,  and  felt  convinced  that  it  could 
not  be  held  against  an  attack  with  heavy  artil- 
lery, so  had  said  to  Major  Croghan:  '  Should 
the  British  approach  you  in  force  with  cannon, 
and  you  can  discover  them  in  time  to  effect  a 
retreat,  you  will  do  so  immediately,  destroying 
all  the  public  stores.  You  must  be  aware  that 
to  attempt  a  retreat  in  the  face  of  an  Indian 
force  would  be  vain.  Against  such  an  enemy 
your  garrison  would  be  safe,  however  great  the 
number.' 

"  On  learning  of  the  intended  descent  of  the 
British  upon  Fort  Stephenson,  Harrison  held  a 
consultation  with  his  officers — McArthur, 
Holmes,  Graham,  Paul,  Hukill,  Wood,  and 
Ball.  They  were  unanimously  of  the  opinion 
that  Fort  Stephenson  could  not  be  successfully 
defended  against  an  enemy  approaching  in  such 
force,  and  that  Major  Croghan  ought  imme- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  169 

diately  to  comply  with  his  general's  standing 
order  to  evacuate." 

"Moving  order,  I  should  think,  father," 
laughed  Lucilla. 

"Yes,"  returned  the  captain  with  a  smile; 
"  but  knowing  Croghan's  innate  bravery,  Harri- 
son feared  he  would  not  move  promptly,  so  sent 
him  another  order  to  abandon  the  fort.  It  was 
carried  by  a  white1  man  named  Connor  and  two 
Indians.  They  started  at  midnight  and  lost 
their  way  in  the  dark.  So  they  did  not  reach 
the  fort  until  the  next  day  about  eleven  o'clock, 
and  by  that  time  the  woods  were  swarming  with 
Indians. 

"  Major  Croghan  called  his  officers  together 
and  consulted  them  in  regard  to  a  retreat.  A 
majority  were  of  his  opinion — that  such  a  step 
would  be  disastrous,  now  that  the  Indiana 
swarmed  in  the  woods,  and  that  the  post  might 
be  maintained. 

"  Croghan  immediately  sent  a  reply  to  Har- 
rison's order,  saying  it  had  come  too  late  to  be 
carried  into  execution,  that  they  had  deter- 
mined to  maintain  the  place — that  they  could 
and  would  do  so.  It  was  a  disobedience  of 


170  ELSIE  ON  THE  HVD80N. 

orders,  but  not  so  intended.  The  gallant  young 
major  thought  that  the  previous  order,  which 
spoke  of  the  danger  of  a  retreat  in  the  face  of 
an  Indian  force,  justified  him  in  remaining,  as 
that  force  was  already  there  when  this  second 
order  reached  him. 

"  But  the  general  considered  it  disobedience, 
which  could  not  be  permitted.  He  at  once  aent 
Colonel  Wells  to  Fort  Stephenson  to  supersede 
Croghan,  and  ordered  Croghan  to  headquar- 
ters at  Seneca  Town.  Colonel  Wells  was  es- 
corted by  Colonel  Ball  with  his  corps  of 
dragoons.  On  the  way  they  were  attacked  by 
about  twenty  Indians,  and  quite  a  severe  skir- 
mish ensued.  Seventeen  of  the  Indians  were 
killed." 

"  Papa,  did  Major  Croghan  go  to  the  general? 
and  was  he  very  cross  to  him?  "  asked  Ned. 

"He  went  promptly,  made  a  full  and  satis- 
factory explanation  to  General  Harrison,  and 
was  directed  to  go  back  to  his  command  the 
next  morning;  which  he  did,  feeling  more  than 
ever  determined  to  maintain  his  post  in  spite  of 
British  and  Indians.  General  Harrison  kept 
scouts  out  in  all  directions  to  watch  the  move- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  Ill 

ments  of  the  enemy.  On  the  evening  of  Satur- 
day, the  31st  of  July,  one  of  those  parties,  lin- 
gering on  the  shore  of  Sandusky  Bay,  about 
twenty  miles  from  Fort  Stephenson,  saw  that 
Proctor  was  approaching  by  water.  They  made 
haste  to  return  to  headquarters  with  their  in- 
formation, stopping  on  the  way  at  Fort  Steph- 
enson and  making  it  known  there. 

"  Croghan  was  watchful,  wide  awake  to  the 
dangers  that  surrounded  them.  A  good  many 
Indians  had  been  seen  upon  the  high  ground  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  Sandusky  Eiver,  but  had 
scampered  away  on  being  fired  at  from  the  six- 
pounder  in  the  fort. 

"  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  British 
gunboats,  bringing  Proctor  and  his  men,  were 
seen  at  a  turn  in  the  river  more  than  a  mile  dis- 
tant. They  were  greeted  by  shots  from  the  six- 
pounder,  but  they  came  on;  and  at  a  cove  some- 
what nearer  the  fort,  opposite  a  small  island  in 
the  stream,  they  landed  with  a  five-and-a-half- 
inch  howitzer. 

"  At  the  same  time  the  Indians  showed  them- 
selves in  the  woods  on  all  sides.  In  this  at- 
tacking force  there  were  four  hundred  British 


172  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

and  several  hundred  Indians.  And  Tecumseh' 
was  stationed  upon  the  roads  leading  from 
Fort  Meigs  and  Seneca  Town  with  almost  two 
thousand  more.  These  were  intended  to  inter- 
cept any  re-enforcements  that  might  be  coming 
to  Croghan's  assistance.  Having  thus,  as  he 
thought,  cut  off  Croghan's  retreat,  Proctor 
sent  Colonel  Elliott  and  Captain  Chambers  to 
demand  the  instant  surrender  of  the  fort.  With 
them  was  Captain  Dixon  of  the  Royal 
Engineers,  who  was  in  command  of  the 
Indians. 

"  They  came  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  Cro- 
ghan  sent  out  Second-Lieutenant  Shipp,  as  his 
representative,  to  meet  the  flag. 

"  The  usual  salutations  were  exchanged,  then 
Colonel  Elliott  said,  'I  am  instructed  to  de- 
mand the  instant  surrender  of  the  fort,  to  spare 
the  effusion  of  blood,  which  we  cannot  do 
should  we  be  under  the  necessity  of  reducing 
it  by  our  powerful  force  of  regulars,  Indians, 
and  artillery.' 

" '  My  commandant  and  the  garrison/  re- 
plied Shipp, '  are  determined  to  defend  the  post 
to  the  last  extremity,  and  bury  themselves  in  its 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  173 

ruins  rather  than  surrender  it  to  any  force 
whatever.' 

"'Look  at  our  immense  body  of  Indians,' 
interposed  Dixon.  '  They  cannot  be  restrained 
from  massacring  the  whole  garrison,  in  the 
event  of  our  undoubted  success.' 

"'Our  success  is  certain,'  eagerly  added 
Chambers. 

"'It  is  a  great  pity/  said  Dixon,  in  a  be- 
seeching tone, '  that  so  fine  a  young  man  as  you 
and  as  your  commander  is  represented  to  be, 
should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  savages.  Sir, 
for  God's  sake  surrender,  and  prevent  the 
dreadful  massacre  that  will  be  caused  by  your 
resistance! ' 

"  '  When  the  fort  shall  be  taken  there  will  be 
none  to  massacre,'  Shipp  coolly  replied,  for  it 
was  not  long  since,  at  Fort  Meigs,  he  had  had 
dealings  with  the  same  foe.  '  It  will  not  be 
given  up  while  a  man  shall  be  able  to  resist.' 

"  He  was  just  turning  to  go  back  to  the  fort, 
when  an  Indian  sprang  from  a  bushy  ravine 
near  at  hand  and  tried  to  snatch  his  sword  from 
him.  The  indignant  Shipp  was  about  to  de- 
spatch the  Indian,  when  Dixon  interfered. 


174  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

Then  Croghan,  who  was  standing  on  the  ram- 
parts watching  the  conference,  called  out, 
*Shipp,  come  in,  and  we'll  blow  them  all 

to !'    At  that,  Shipp  hurried  into  the  fort, 

the  flag  was  returned,  and  the  British  immedi- 
ately opened  fire  from  their  gunboat  and  the 
five-and-a-half-inch  howitzer  which  they  had 
landed,  beginning  the  attack  before  proper 
arrangements  could  be  made. 

"  It  seems  the  Indians  had  had  an  alarm  and 
let  the  British  know  of  it.  A  Mr.  Aaron  North, 
knowing  nothing  of  the  proximity  of  British 
or  Indians,  was  riding  through  the  wood,  draw- 
ing near  the  fort  on  the  other  side  of  the  San- 
dusky,  when  he  discovered  a  large  body  of  In- 
dians scattered  along  the  river  bank  and  half 
concealed  by  the  bushes.  He  wheeled  his 
horse  and  fled  in  the  direction  of  Seneca.  The 
startled  Indians  fired  several  shots  after  him, 
but  without  hitting  him.  The  Indians  doubt- 
less told  the  British  of  all  this,  and  Proctor 
thought  the  horseman  a  messenger  to  Harrison 
to  inform  him  of  the  attack  upon  Fort  Steph- 
enson,  and  that  the  result  would  probably  be 
that  re-enforcements  would  be  sent  to  Croghan, 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  1?5 

would  beat  back  Tecumseh,  and  fall  upon  him 
at  Sandusky. 

"  All  night  long  the  five  six-pounders  which 
had  been  landed  from  the  British  gunboats, 
and  the  howitzer,  played  upon  the  stockade 
without  doing  any  serious  damage.  Occasion- 
ally the  besieged  answered  with  their  one  can- 
non, which  they  moved  from  one  blockhouse  to 
another,  to  give  the  impression  that  the  garri- 
son had  several  heavy  guns.  But  their  supply 
of  ammunition  was  small,  and  Croghan  was  too 
wise  to  waste  it.  He  determined  not  to  use  any 
more  in  firing  at  random  in  the  dark;  so  ordered 
Captain  Hunter,  his  second  in  command,  to 
place  it  in  the  blockhouse  at  the  middle  of  the 
north  side  of  the  fort,  so  as  to  rake  the  ditch 
in  the  direction  of  the  northwest  angle — the 
point  where  the  enemy  would  be  most  likely  to 
make  the  assault,  because  it  was  the  weakest 
part. 

"  That  was  done  before  daylight,  and  the  gun, 
loaded  with  a  half-charge  of  powder  and  a 
double  charge  of  slugs  and  grapeshot,  was  com- 
pletely masked. 

"  During  the  night  the  British  had  dragged 


176  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

three  of  their  six-pounders  to  a  place  in  the 
woods  where  the  ground  was  higher  than  the 
fort  and  about  250  yards  from  it.  Early  in 
the  morning  they  began  a  brisk  fire  upon 
the  blockade  from  those  and  the  howitzer." 

"  Oh,  papa,  how  dreadful! "  exclaimed  Elsie. 
"  Did  all  of  our  men  get  shot?  " 

"  No;  the  cannonade  produced  very  little 
effect,  and  Proctor  grew  very  impatient.  The 
long  hot  day  was  nearly  done,  and  the  Indians 
were  becoming  restless.  At  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  he  ordered  all  his  guns  to  fire 
upon  that  weak  northwest  angle. 

"  Then  Croghan  and  his  men  set  to  work  to 
strengthen  it  as  much  as  possible.  They  piled 
bags  of  sand  and  sacks  of  flour  against  the 
pickets  there,  which  materially  broke  the  force 
of  the  cannonade.  At  five  o'clock  a  dark  thun- 
der cloud  was  seen  in  the  west  and  the  thunder 
seemed  like  the  echo  of  the  enemy's  cannon. 
Then  the  British  came  on  in  two  close  columns, 
led  by  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  Short  and 
Lieutenant  Gordon.  At  the  same  time  a  party 
of  grenadiers,  about  200  strong,  under  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Warburton,  took  a  wide  circuit 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  177 

through  the  woods  to  make  a  feigned  attack 
upon  the  southern  front  of  the  fort,  where  Cap- 
tain Hunter  and  his  party  were  stationed. 

"There  was  in  the  fort  at  the  time  a  man 
named  Brown,  a  private  of  the  Petersburgh 
volunteers,  with  a  half-dozen  of  his  corps  and 
Pittsburgh  Blues.  To  them  was  entrusted  the 
management  of  the  six-pounder  in  the  fort,  for 
Brown  was  skilled  in  gunnery. 

"  The  British  artillery  played  incessantly 
upon  the  northwestern  angle  of  the  fort,  caus- 
ing a  dense  smoke,  and  under  cover  of  that  a 
storming  party  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Short 
advanced  to  within  fifteen  or  twenty  paces  of 
the  outworks  before  they  were  discovered  by  the 
garrison.  But  they  were  Kentucky  sharp- 
shooters, and  every  man  of  them  was  at  his  post. 
Instantly  they  poured  upon  the  assailants  a 
shower  of  rifle  balls  sent  with  such  deadly  aim 
that  the  British  were  thrown  into  confusion. 
But  they  quickly  rallied.  The  axemen  pushed 
bravely  forward  over  the  glacis,  and  leaped  into 
the  ditch  to  assail  the  pickets.  Short  was  at 
their  head,  and  when  a  sufficient  number  were 
in  the  ditch  behind  him,  he  shouted, '  Cut  away 


1V8  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

the  pickets,  my  brave  boys,  and  show  Ifi0 
d d  Yankees  no  quarter! ' 

"  Now  the  time  had  come  for  the  six-pounder 
to  make  itself  heard.  The  masked  port  flew 
open  instantly,  and  the  gun  spoke  with  terrible 
effect.  Slug  and  grapeshot  streamed  along  that 
ditch  overflowing  with  human  life,  and  spread 
awful  havoc  there.  Few  of  those  British  sol- 
diers escaped.  The  second  column  of  the 
storming  party  made  a  similar  attempt,  but 
was  met  by  another  discharge  from  the  six- 
pounder  and  another  destructive  volley  of  rifle- 
balls." 

"  Was  anybody  killed,  papa?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  Yes,  a  good  many  were,"  replied  his  father. 
*'  Colonel  Short,  Lieutenant  Gordon,  Laussaus- 
sie  of  the  Indian  Department,  and  25  privates 
were  left  dead  in  the  ditch,  and  26  of  the 
wounded  were  made  prisoners.  Three  other 
officers  were  slightly  wounded,  but  escaped. 
The  rest  of  the  attacking  party  retreated  in 
haste  and  disorder. 

"It  was  not  until  after  that  disaster  that 
Warburton  and  his  grenadiers  reached  the  south 
front  of  the  fort.  "When  they  did,  Hunter's 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  179 

corps  assailed  them  with,  a  destructive  volley, 
and  they  fled  for  shelter  to  the  adjacent  woods. 
It  is  said  that  Lieutenant-Colonel  Short,  when 
he  fell,  twisted  a  white  handkerchief  on  the  end 
of  his  sword,  asking  the  mercy  he  had  exhorted 
his  men  not  to  show  to  the  Americans." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  they  did  show  it  to  him,  papa," 
said  Elsie. 

"  I  think  they  would  have  done  so  had  oppor- 
tunity offered,"  said  the  captain;  "  but  he  was 
found  dead  in  the  ditch." 

"And  were  any  of  our  people  killed?"  sne 
asked. 

"  One  man  was  killed  and  7  were  slightly 
wounded;  while,  according  to  the  most  careful 
estimates,  the  loss  of  the  British  in  killed  and 
wounded  was  120.  They  behaved  most  gal- 
lantly, getting  no  assistance  from  the  cowardly 
Indians,  who  kept  themselves  out  of  harm's 
way  in  a  ravine  near  by. 

"  The  assault  had  lasted  only  about  half  an 
hour.  Lossing  tells  us, '  The  dark  storm  cloud 
in  the  west  passed  northward,  the  setting  SUB 
beamed  out  with  peculiar  splendor,  a  gentle 
breeze  from  the  southwest  bore  the  smoke  of 


180  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

battle  far  away  over  the  forest  toward  Lake 
Erie,  and  in  the  lovely  twilight  of  that  mem- 
orable Sabbath  evening  the  brave  young 
Croghan  addressed  his  gallant  little  band  with 
eloquent  words  of  praise  and  grateful  thanks- 
giving. As  the  night  and  the  silence  deepened, 
and  the  groans  of  the  wounded  in  the  ditch  fell 
upon  their  ears,  his  generous  heart  beat  with 
sympathy.  Buckets  filled  with  water  were  let 
down  by  ropes  from  the  outside  of  the  pickets; 
and  as  the  gates  of  the  fort  could  not  be  opened 
with  safety  during  the  night,  he  made  a  com- 
munication with  the  ditch  by  means  of  a 
trench,  through  which  the  wounded  were  borne 
into  the  fort  and  their  necessities  supplied.* " 

"  Oh,  how  good  and  kind  he  was!  "  exclaimed 
Grace.  "I  am  proud  of  him  as  one  of  my 
countrymen.  Is  he  still  living,  papa?  " 

"No,  daughter;  he  died  in  New  Orleans  on, 
January  8,  1849." 

"  The  anniversary  of  the  great  victory  there 
in  the  War  of  1812!  Was  he  not  rewarded  for 
his  gallant  defence  of  Fort  Stephenson?  " 

"Yes;  he  was  brevetted  lieutenant-colonel 
for  his  gallantry,  and  some  twenty  years  later 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  181 

Congress  voted  him  a  gold  medal  in  acknowl- 
edgment of  it.  In  1846  he  joined  Taylor's 
army  in  Mexico  and  served  with  credit  at  the 
Battle  of  Monterey." 

"  You  have  given  us  an  interesting  tale,  cap- 
tain," remarked  Cousin  Ronald  as  the  story 
eeemed  to  have  come  to  an  end — "  one  that  was 
ueally  new  to  me;  for  I  have  read  but  little 
about  that  war — which  I  hope  we  can  always 
refer  to  as  the  last  between  the  mother  country 
and  this,  my  adopted  one — the  native  land  of 
my  bonny  young  wife,"  he  added  with  a  loving 
and  admiring  look  at  Annis. 

"  Ah,  my  dear,  how  true  it  is  that  love  ia 
blind,"  said  Annis  softly,  giving  him  a  look  of 
fond  appreciation. 

"  Ha,  ha!  A  pair  of  old  lovers! "  laughed  a, 
voice  that  seemed  to  come  from  somewhere  in 
the  rear  of  the  little  party. 

"  Yes,  that's  what  we  are,"  said  Annis  with 
mirthful  look  and  tone. 

"  And  who  are  you  that  dares  to  say  such 
saucy  things  to  our  company?"  asked  Ned, 
looking  sharply  round  toward  the  spot  from 
which  the  voice  had  seemed  to  come. 


182  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Somebody  that  has  a  tongue  of  his  own  and 
t  right  to  use  it,"  returned  the  voice,  but  the 
speaker  was  still  invisible. 

"  Well,  whoever  you  are  you've  no  business 
here  on  my  father's  yacht  without  an  invita- 
tion," cried  Ned,  hurrying  toward  the  spot  from 
which  the  strange  voice  seemed  to  come. 

"  You  silly,  impudent  youngster!  I'm  not 
here  without  an  invitation,"  said  the  voice, 
seeming  to  come  from  a  greater  distance  than 
before. 

"  Not?  "  exclaimed  Ned;  "  then  who  invited 
you?" 

"  The  captain  and  owner  of  the  vessel." 

Ned  turned  to  his  father.  "  Did  you  invite 
him,  papa,  and  who  is  he?"  Then,  perceiv- 
ing a  look  of  amusement  on  every  face,  "  Oh, 
I  know!  Why  didn't  I  think  before?  It's 
just  Cousin  Eonald  playing  he's  somebody 
else." 

"  Yes,  laddie,  and  he's  rather  an  auld  mon  to 
be  playing  at  anything,"  returned  the  old  gen- 
tleman pleasantly.  "  Dinna  ye  think  so?  " 

"No,  sir;  and  it's  good  of  you  to  make  a 
little  fun  for  us  youngsters." 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  183 

"As  well  as  for  us  older  folks,"  added  his 
mother  in  a  sprightly  tone. 

"  I  thought  it  was  a  fellow  who  had  no  busi- 
ness here,"  said  Ned,  "  but  you  are  as  welcome 
as  anything,  Cousin  Konald." 

"  Aye,  laddie,  I  dinna  doubt  it  or  I  wadna  be 
here,"  laughed  the  old  gentleman;  "  but  I  know 
there  are  no  more  hospitable  folk  to  be  found 
anywhere  then  these  American  cousins  o' 
mine." 

"  I  should  think  not,  sir,"  said  Neddie  with 
a  smiling  glance  from  one  parent  to  the  other; 
"  and  I  believe  there's  nobody  they  like  better 
to  entertain  than  you." 

"  Is  Fort  Stephenson  still  standing,  papa?  " 
asked  Grace. 

"No,"  was  the  reply,  "but  we  can  see  the 
site,  which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  village  of 
Fremont,  and  covers  about  two-thirds  of  a 
square.  We  will  no  doubt  find  someone  who 
can  and  will  point  it  out  to  us  and  show  us  the 
ravine  where  the  Indians  fled  after  the  first  dis- 
charge of  the  rifle-balls  by  the  garrison;  and 
the  iron  six-pounder  cannon  that  did  such  great 
execution  in  defence  of  the  fort;  also  the  land- 


184  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

ing  place  of  the  British.  By  the  way,  th<»  gar- 
rison named  that  cannon  the  '  Good  Bess/  " 

"  Oh,  I  hope  we  will  see  it,"  said  Ned.  "  I'd 
like  to." 

They  reached  their  destination  in  time  to  see 
the  cannon  and  all  the  interesting  places  and 
things  made  memorable  by  their  connection 
with  the  struggle  at  Fort  Stepheneon,  then  re- 
turned to  the  yacht,  sailed  out  into  the  bay 
again,  and  anchored  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  next  morning  Lucilla  woke  early — as 
was  usual  with  her — and  presently  joined  her 
father  upon  the  deck.  He  greeted  her,  as  was 
his  custom,  with  a  smile  and  a  tender  caress, 
asking  if  she  were  quite  well  and  had  passed  a 
comfortable  night. 

"  Yes,  papa,"  she  said;  "  I  slept  as  soundly  aa 
possible,  and  feel  perfectly  well  this  morning; 
as  I  hope  you  do." 

"  I  do,  for  I  also  enjoyed  a  good  night's  rest 
and  sleep." 

The  yacht  was  moving,  and  Lucilla  remarked 
it  with  some  surprise. 

"I  thought  we  were  lying  at  anchor,"  she 
said. 

"  So  we  were  through  the  night,"  replied  her 
father,  "  but  now  we  are  travelling  toward  Fort 
Meigs — or  perhaps  I  should  rather  say  its 
ruins." 

"Oh, that  will  bean  interesting  spot  to  visit!" 
exclaimed  Lucilla.  "  Just  where  is  it,  papa?  " 

185 


18«  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"On  the  Maumee  River,  opposite  Maumee 
City,  situated  at  the  head  of  river  navigation, 
eight  miles  from  Toledo." 

"Wasn't  it  somewhere  in  that  region  that 
Wayne  fought  one  or  more  of  his  battles  with 
the  Indians?  " 

"  Yes;  he  took  possession  of  and  fortified  the 
place  where  St.  Clair  was  defeated,  and  called  it 
Fort  Recovery.  That  was  in  1794.  On  the 
30th  of  June  he  was  attacked  by  about  a  thou- 
sand Indians  with  some  British  soldiers  and 
Canadian  volunteers,  who  assailed  the  garrison 
several  times.  Fifty-seven  Americans  were 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing;  also  221  horses. 
The  Indians  said  they  lost  more  tkan  in  their 
battle  with  St.  Clair. 

"A  few  weeks  later  Wayne  was  joined  by 
Major-General  Scott  with  1600  mounted  volun- 
teers from  Kentucky,  and  two  days  later  he 
moved  forward  with  his  whole  force  toward  the 
Maumee.  Remembering  the  sad  fate  of  St. 
Clair  and  his  men,  Wayne  moved  very  cau- 
tiously; so  slowly  and  stealthily  that  the  In- 
dians called  him  the  *  Black  Snake/  He  had 
faithful,  competent  scouts  and  guides,  and  he 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  187 

moved  by  unfrequented  ways,  with  perplexing 
feints.  Twenty-five  miles  beyond  Fort  Ee- 
covery  he  built  Fort  Adams.  Again  he  moved 
forward  for  four  days,  then  encamped  on  a 
beautiful  plain  at  the  confluence  of  the  Maumee 
and  Auglaize  rivers,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
town  of  Defiance;  I  presume  from  the  fort 
Wayne  built  there,  and  which  he  called  Fort 
Defiance.  He  found  there  a  deserted  Indian 
town  with  at  least  a  thousand  acres  of  corn 
growing  around  it.  Wayne  was  now  in  full 
possession  of  power  to  subjugate  and  destroy 
the  Indians,  but,  unwilling  to  shed  blood  un- 
necessarily, he  sent  them  a  message  with  kind 
words.  'Be  no  longer  deceived  or  led  astray 
by  false  promises  and  language  of  bad  white 
men  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids;  they  have  neither 
the  power  nor  the  inclination  to  protect  you/ 

"  He  offered  them  peace  and  tranquillity,  and 
invited  them  to  send  deputies  to  meet  him  in 
council  without  delay. 

"  But  they  rejected  his  overtures,  and  said  in 
reply, c  Stay  where  you  are  for  ten  days,  and  we 
will  treat  with  you;  but  if  you  advance  we  will 
give  you  battle/ 


188  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Wayne  was,  however,  too  wise  and  wary  to 
be  deceived  by  them.  He  saw  that  nothing  but 
a  severe  blow  would  break  the  spirit  of  the 
tribes  and  end  the  war,  and,  as  Lossing  says,  he 
resolved  to  inflict  it  mercilessly. 

"  On  the  15th  of  August  his  legion  moved 
forward,  and  on  the  18th  took  post  at  the  head 
of  the  rapids,  near  the  present  town  of  Water- 
ville,  where  they  established  a  magazine  of  sup- 
plies and  baggage,  protected  by  military  works, 
and  named  it  Fort  Deposit.  There,  on  the 
19th,  Wayne  called  a  council  of  war  and 
adopted  a  plan  of  march  and  battle  proposed  by 
Lieutenant  Harrison." 

"  Afterward  general,  papa?  " 

"Yes,  nineteen  years  later  he  had  become 
general-in-chief,  and  performed  gallant  exploits 
in  this  same  valley  of  the  Maumee. 

"  The  next  morning  after  that  council,  at 
eight  o'clock,  Wayne  advanced  according  to  that 
plan.  They  had  gone  forward  about  five  miles 
when  the  advance  corps,  under  Major  Price, 
was  terribly  smitten  by  heavy  volleys  from  the 
concealed  foe  and  compelled  to  fall  back.  The 
enemy  was  full  2000  strong — composed  of  In- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  189 

dians  and  Canadian  volunteers,  and  they  were 
arranged  in  three  lines  within  supporting  dis- 
tance of  each  other. 

"  Wayne's  legion  was  immediately  formed  in 
two  lines,  principally  in  a  dense  wood  on  the 
borders  of  a  wet  prairie,  where  a  large  number 
of  trees  had  been  prostrated  by  a  tornado,  which 
made  the  movements  of  cavalry  very  difficult, 
besides  affording  a  fine  covert  for  the  enemy. 
But  Wayne's  troops  fell  upon  them  with  fear- 
ful energy,  soon  making  them  flee,  like  a  herd 
of  frightened  deer,  toward  Fort  Miami." 

"  The  fort  the  British  had  built  upon  our 
ground  without  so  much  as  saying  by  your 
leave?  " 

"  The  very  same.  They  reached  it  by  a  hasty 
flight  of  two  miles  through  the  thick  woods, 
leaving  forty  of  their  number  dead  on  the  way, 
by  the  side  of  each  of  whom  lay  a  musket  and 
bayonet  from  British  armories. 

"  Three  days  and  three  nights  Wayne  and  his 
army  remained  below  the  rapids,  making  such 
desolation  as  seemed  necessary  for  the  subju- 
gation of  the  hostile  Indians  and  the  treacher- 
ous Britains  and  Canadians;  all  that  in  defiance 


190  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

of  the  threats  of  the  commandant  of  Fort 
Miami,  though  his  guns  were  within  view  of  the 
American  tents.  He — Colonel  McKee — was 
the  chief  instigator  of  the  war  with  the  Indians, 
with  whom  he  was  carrying  on  a  most  lucrative 
trade,  and  he  had  there  extensive  storehouses 
and  dwellings.  These  our  troops  set  fire  to  and 
destroyed,  as  they  did  all  the  products  of  the 
fields  and  gardens." 

"  That  seems  a  pity,  papa,  but  I  suppose  it 
was  necessary." 

"Yes;  as  no  doubt  those  British  men  well 
knew.  Wayne's  men  sometimes  were  within 
pistol-shot  of  Fort  Miami,  but  its  guns  kept 
silence.  The  commander  did  a  good  deal  of 
scolding  and  threatening;  Wayne  coolly  defied 
him  and  retorted  with  vigor.  But  neither  went 
any  farther. 

"  Wayne  and  his  troops  remained  there  until 
the  middle  of  September,  when  they  went  to 
the  head  of  the  Maumee;  and  at  the  bend  of 
the  river,  just  below  the  confluence  of  the  St. 
Mary's,  and  St.  Joseph's,  which  form  it,  they 
built  a  strong  fortification  and  called  it  Fort 
Wayne.  By  the  latter  part  of  October  it  was 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  191 

finished  and  garrisoned  with  infantry  and  artil- 
lery, under  Colonel  Hamtramck. 

"  The  rest  of  the  troops  then  left,  some  for 
Fort  Washington,  to  be  discharged  from  the 
service,  and  others  for  Fort  Greenville,  where 
Wayne  made  his  headquarters  for  the  winter. 
There  the  various  tribes  with  whom  he  had 
been  at  war  came  to  him — by  deputations — and 
agreed  upon  preliminary  terms  of  peace.  They 
remembered  that  he  had  assured  them  that  the 
British  had  neither  the  power  nor  the  inclina- 
tion to  help  them — and  how  that  assurance  had 
been  verified  by  the  silence  of  the  guns  of  Fort 
Miami. 

"  They  promised  to  meet  him  in  council  early 
the  next  summer,  and  did  so.  Early  in  June 
chiefs  and  sachems  began  to  reach  Fort  Green- 
ville, and  on  the  16th  of  that  month  a  grand 
council  was  opened  there.  Almost  1100 
Indians  were  present,  and  the  council  continued 
until  the  10th  of  August.  On  the  3d  of  that 
month  a  satisfactory  treaty  was  signed  by  all 
parties.  And  by  a  special  treaty  between  the 
United  Statea  and  Great  Britain  the  western 
military  posta  were  soon  evacuated  by  the 


192  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

British,  and  for  fifteen  years  the  most  remote 
frontier  settlements  were  safe  from  any  annoy- 
ance by  the  Indians." 

"And  that  encouraged  emigration  to  the 
Northwestern  Territory,  did  it  not,  papa?" 
asked  Lucilla. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "and  in  consequence  the 
country  grew  rapidly  in  population  of  a  hardy 
land." 

"Until  the  War  of  1812." 

"  Yes;  and  it  was  in  that  war  that  Harrison 
did  so  much  to  distinguish  himself  as  a  patriot 
and  a  brave  and  skilful  officer." 

"And  it  was  then  he  built  the  Fort  Meigs 
you  are  taking  us  to,  papa?  " 

"Yes;  at  the  Maumee  Eapids  in  February, 
1813.  It  was  named  for  Return  Jonathan 
Meigs,  who  was  then  Governor  of  Ohio." 

"  Return  Jonathan!  what  an  odd  name!  " 

"Yes,  and  there  is  an  odd  story  connected 
with  it.  Years  before  the  Revolution  a  bright- 
eyed  coquette  was  courted  by  Jonathan  Meigs. 
On  one  occasion  he  pressed  his  suit  with  great 
earnestness  and  asked  for  a  positive  answer. 
She  would  not  give  it,  but  feigned  coolness,  and 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  193 

he — growing  discouraged — resolved  to  be  trifled 
with  no  longer,  so  bade  her  farewell  forever. 
He  took  his  departure,  but  had  not  gone  far 
down  the  lane  when  she  ran  after  him  and  at 
the  gate  called  out,  'Return  Jonathan;  return 
Jonathan! ' 

"He  did  go  back  to  her;  they  afterward 
married,  and  were  very  happy  together;  and 
when  the  first  son  was  born  they  named  him 
Return  Jonathan. 

"He  was  born  in  1740;  was  the  heroic  Colonel 
Meigs  who  did  such  valiant  service  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  and  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Ohio,  going  there  in  1788.  His  son  Re- 
turn Jonathan  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio  in 
1810  and  held  that  office  until  1814. 

"  Harrison  arrived  at  Fort  Meigs  on  the  12th 
of  April,  1813,  and  was  glad  to  find  there  200 
Pennsylvanians,  patriotic  men,  who,  though 
anxious  to  go  home  to  put  in  their  spring  seeds, 
assured  him  that  they  would  never  leave  him 
until  he  thought  their  services  could  be  spared 
without  danger  to  the  cause.  He  discharged 
them  on  the  arrival  of  three  Kentucky  com- 
panies. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  While  on  his  way  Harrison  had  been  told  of 
frequent  appearances  of  Indian  scouts  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  rapids,  and  of  little  skir- 
mishes with  what  he  supposed  to  be  the  ad- 
vance of  a  more  powerful  foe.  That  alarmed 
him,  and  he  despatched  a  messenger  to  Gover- 
nor Shelby  of  Kentucky  asking  him  to  send  to 
the  Maumee  the  whole  of  the  3000  men  who 
had  been  drafted  in  that  State.  He  brought 
with  him  about  300  men  in  all,  but  was  agree- 
ably surprised  to  find,  on  his  arrival,  that  there 
were  no  signs  of  the  enemy  being  near  in  great 
force. 

"  But  that  enemy  was  at  that  very  time  pre- 
paring to  strike  a  destructive  blow  at  Fort 
Medgs.  Tecumseh  was  even  then  at  Fort  Mai- 
den with  almost  1500  Indians.  Proctor  had 
fired  his  zeal  and  that  of  his  brother,  who  was 
called  the  Prophet,  by  promises  of  future  suc- 
cess in  their  schemes  for  confederating  the 
tribes,  and  boasting  of  his  ample  power  to  place 
Fort  Meigs  with  its  garrison  and  immense 
stores  in  the  hands  of  his  Indian  allies. 

"  Proctor  was  delighted  with  this  response  of 
the  savages  to  his  call,  and  had  fine  visions  of 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  195 

the  victory  he  was  going  to  gain,  and  the  glory 
and  promotion  it  would  bring  him.  He  was 
more  boastful  than  ever,  and  treated  the  Ameri- 
cans at  Detroit  in  a  supercilious  manner.  He 
ordered  the  Canadians  to  assemble  at  Sandwich 
on  the  7th  of  April  and  told  them  the  campaign 
would  be  short,  decisive,  successful,  and  profit- 
able." 

"  How  did  he  know! "  exclaimed  Lucilla 
scornfully. 

"  He  did  not,"  said  her  father;  "  events 
shortly  following  showed  it  to  have  been  but 
idle  boasting.  That  boast  was  made  on  the  7th 
of  April.  On  the  23d  his  army  and  his  savage 
allies  embarked  on  a  brig  and  several  smaller 
vessels,  accompanied  by  two  gunboats  and  some 
artillery.  On  the  26th  they  were  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Maumee,  about  twelve  miles  below  Fort 
Meigs,  and  two  days  later  they  landed  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river  near  old  Fort  Miami,  and 
established  their  main  camp  there. 

"  Captain  Hamilton  of  the  Ohio  troops  was 
reconnoitring  down  the  river  with  a  small  force 
on  the  28th,  when  he  discovered  the  enemy 
there  in  force.  They  were  first  seen  by  Peter 


196  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

Navarre,  one  of  Harrison's  most  trusty  scouts. 
Hamilton  sent  him  in  haste  to  Fort  Meigs  with 
the  news,  and  Harrison  at  once  despatched  him 
with  three  letters — one  for  Governor  Meigs  at 
Urbana,  one  for  Upper  Sandusky,  and  one  for 
Lower  Sandusky.  Fort  Meigs  was  quite  strong 
— had  intrenchments,  pickets,  several  block- 
houses, and  a  good  supply  of  field-pieces;  but 
from  the  account  he  had  had  of  the  character 
and  strength  of  the  enemy,  Harrison  considered 
•it  in  imminent  peril.  He  knew  that  General 
Clay  was  on  his  march  with  his  Kentuckians, 
and  immediately  after  despatching  Navarre 
with  his  letters,  he  sent  Captain  William  Oliver, 
the  commissary  of  the  fort,  and  a  brave,  judi- 
cious, and  intelligent  officer,  with  a  verbal 
message  to  Clay  urging  him  to  press  forward 
by  forced  marches. 

"  Oliver  found  General  Clay  at  Defiance  with 
1200  Kentuckians.  At  St.  Mary's  blockhouse 
Clay  divided  his  brigade.  He  descended  the 
St.  Mary  himself  with  Colonel  Boswell's  corps, 
while  Dudley  went  down  the  Auglaize. 

"  The  two  divisions  were  to  meet  at  Defiance. 
But  before  Dudley  had  reached  that  point  h» 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  197 

heard  of  Harrison's  perilous  position  at  Fort 
Meigs.  A  council  of  officers  was  called,  and  it 
was  resolved  to  send  Harrison  word  that  succor 
was  at  hand.  It  was  a  very  dangerous  errand 
and  required  someone  who  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  country.  Leslie  Combs,  a  brave,  pa- 
triotic young  man,  whom  Clay  had  commis- 
sioned captain  of  a  company  of  riflemen  as  spies 
or  scouts,  volunteered  to  go. 

"  *  When  we  reach  Fort  Defiance,'  he  said, ( if 
you  will  furnish  me  a  good  canoe,  I  will  carry 
your  despatches  to  General  Harrison,  and  re- 
turn with  his  orders.  I  shall  only  require  four 
or  five  volunteers  from  my  own  company.'  His 
offer  was  joyfully  accepted  by  Dudley.  The 
next  morning,  May  1,  they  reached  Defiance, 
and  as  soon  as  a  canoe  could  be  procured,  Combs 
and  his  companions — Paxton,  Johnson,  and 
two  brothers  named  Walker — started  on  their 
perilous  errand.  They  had  with  them  also  a 
Shawnee  warrior  named  Black  Fish.  He  took 
the  helm,  the  other  four  the  oars,  while  Combs 
was  at  the  bow  in  charge  of  the  rifles  and  am- 
munition. 

"As  they  pushed  off  from  Fort  Defiance 


198  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

there  were  cheers  and  sad  adieus,  for  few 
thought  they  would  ever  see  them  again.  It 
was  a  dangerous  voyage;  rain  was  falling  fast 
and  the  night  was  intensely  dark.  Combs  was 
determined  to  reach  Fort  Meigs  before  daylight 
the  next  morning.  They  passed  the  rapids  in 
safety,  but  not  till  quite  late  in  the  morning, 
and  then  heard  heavy  cannonading  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  fort.  That  told  them  that  the 
siege  had  begun,  which  made  an  attempt  to 
reach  the  fort  far  more  perilous  than  it  would 
otherwise  have  been. 

"Combs  had  now  a  hard  choice  to  make. 
It  would  be  prudent  to  go  back,  but  would  not 
seem  courageous,  while  to  stay  where  they  were 
till  the  next  night,  or  to  go  on  at  once,  seemed 
equally  hazardous.  But  he  was  very  brave  and 
goon  came  to  a  decision.  'We  must  go  on, 
boys/  he  said;  '  and  if  you  expect  the  honor  of 
taking  coffee  with  General  Harrison  this  morn- 
ing, you  must  work  hard  for  it.' 

"  He  knew  the  weakness  of  the  garrison  and 
feared  it  could  not  hold  out  long.  Therefore 
great  was  his  joy  when,  on  sweeping  round 
Turkey  Point,  at  the  last  bend  in  the  rirer,  he 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  199 

eaw  the  Stripes  and  Stars  waving  over  the  be- 
leaguered camp.  His  little  company  evinced 
their  delight  by  a  suppressed  shout.  That  was 
a  sad  mistake,  for,  suddenly,  a  solitary  Indian 
appeared  in  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  in  an- 
other moment  a  large  body  of  them  could  be 
eeen  in  the  gray  shadows  of  the  forest,  running 
eagerly  to  a  point  below  to  cut  off  Combs  and 
his  party  from  the  fort. 

"  He  attempted  to  dart  by  them,  when  a  vol- 
ley of  bullets  wounded  Paxton  and  Johnson — 
the  latter  mortally.  The  fire  was  returned  with 
effect,  then  the  Shawnee  turned  the  prow  to 
the  opposite  shore,  and  the  voyagers  left  the 
canoe  and  fled  toward  Defiance.  They  tried 
to  take  Johnson  and  Paxton  with  them,  but 
found  it  impossible,  so  were  compelled  to  leave 
them  to  become  captives. 

"At  the  end  of  two  days  and  two  nights 
Combs  and  Black  Fish  reached  Defiance,  where 
they  found  Clay  and  his  troops  just  arrived. 
The  Walkers  were  there  also,  having  fled  more 
swiftly  than  Combs  and  the  Indian  had  been 
able  to  because  of  their  efforts  to  aid  the  flight 
of  the  two  wounded  men.  They  had  suffered 


200  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

terribly  in  their  flight,  and  for  a  time  Combs 
was  unable  to  take  command  of  his  company, 
but  he  went  down  the  river  with  the  re-enforce- 
ments and  took  an  active  part  in  the  fight  at 
Fort  Meigs. 

"  But,  ah,  here  come  others  of  our  party,  and 
I  must  leave  the  rest  of  my  story  to  be  told 
later  in  the  day,"  added  the  captain,  turning  to 
greet  Violet  and  his  younger  children,  who  at 
that  moment  appeared  upon  the  deck. 


CHAPTEE   XI. 

SHORTLY  after  breakfast,  when  the  whole  of 
their  little  company  had  gathered  beneath  the 
awning  upon  the  deck,  the  captain  resumed 
his  story,  as  all  had  expressed  a  desire  to 
hear  it. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  April,  1813," 
he  said,  "the  British  had  completed  two  bat- 
teries nearly  opposite  Fort  Meigs  and  mounted 
their  ordnance.  On  one  there  were  two  twenty- 
four  pounders,  on  the  other  three  howitzers. 
Well-directed  round-shot  from  the  fort  had 
struck  some  of  their  men  while  at  work,  but 
neither  that  nor  the  drenching  rain  stopped 
them. 

"  Harrison  had  been  busy  too.  He  addressed 
his  soldiers  eloquently  in  a  general  order. 

"  *  Can  the  citizens  of  a  free  country,  who 

have  taken  arms  to  defend  its  rights,'  he  said, 

*  think  of  submitting  to  an  army  composed  of 

mercenary  soldiers,  reluctant  Canadians  goaded 

201 


202  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

to  the  field  by  the  bayonet,  and  of  wretched, 
naked  savages?  Can  the  breast  of  an  Ameri- 
can soldier,  when  he  casts  his  eye  to  the  oppo- 
site shore,  the  scene  of  his  country's  triumphs 
over  the  same  foe,  be  influenced  by  any  other 
feeling  than  the  hope  of  glory?  Is  not  this 
army  composed  of  the  same  materials  as  that 
which  fought  and  conquered  under  the  immor- 
tal Wayne?  Yes,  fellow  soldiers,  your  general 
sees  your  countenances  beam  with  the  same  fire 
that  he  witnessed  on  that  glorious  occasion;  and 
although  it  would  be  the  height  of  presumption 
to  compare  himself  with  that  hero,  he  boasts  of 
being  that  hero's  pupil.  To  your  posts  then, 
fellow  citizens,  and  remember  that  the  eyes  of 
your  country  are  upon  you/ 

"  That  general  order  was  given  on  the 
morning  that  the  British  made  their  appear- 
ance, and  when  he  saw  that  they  were  erecting 
batteries  on  the  opposite  shore  that  would  com- 
mand his  works,  he  directed  his  men  to  make  a 
traverse,  or  wall  of  earth,  on  the  highest  ground 
through  the  middle  of  his  camp.  It  had  a  base 
of  twenty  feet,  was  three  hundred  yards  long 
and  twelve  feet  high.  While  they  were  at  the 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  203 

work  it  was  concealed  by  the  tents,  which  when 
it  was  finished  were  suddenly  removed  to  its 
rear. 

"  Then  the  British  engineer  perceived,  to  his 
great  mortification,  that  his  labor  had  been 
almost  in  vain.  Instead  of  an  exposed  camp 
from  which  Proctor  had  boasted  that  he  would 
soon  smoke  out  the  Yankees, — meaning  quickly 
destroy  it  with  shot  and  shell, — he  saw  only  an 
immense  shield  of  earth  which  hid  the  Ameri- 
cans and  thoroughly  sheltered  them. 

"Proctor  then  changed  his  plans  somewhat 
and  sent  a  considerable  force  of  white  men 
under  Captain  Muir,  and  Indians  under  Te- 
cumseh,  to  the  eastern  side  of  the  river,  under 
cover  of  the  gunboats,  to  attack  the  fort  in  the 
rear. 

"  The  British  batteries  were  silent  through  the 
night,  but  a  gunboat,  towed  up  the  river  near 
the  fort  under  cover  of  darkness,  fired  thirty 
ahots.  The  only  effect,  however,  was  an  increase 
of  the  vigilance  of  the  Americans.  The  next 
morning,  though  it  was  raining  heavily,  the 
British  opened  a  severe  cannonade  and  bom- 
bardment upon  Fort  Meigs,  which  they  con- 


204  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

tinned  with  slight  intermissions  for)  about  five 
days;  but  without  doing  much  injury  to  the 
fort  or  garrison. 

"  Occasionally  our  men  returned  the  fire  by 
eighteen-pounders.  But  their  supply  of  shot 
for  these  and  the  twelve-pounders  was  very 
small,  and  as  they  did  not  know  how  long  the 
siege  might  last,  it  was  thought  best  to  use 
them  very  sparingly. 

"  The  British  seemed  to  have  powder,  balls, 
and  shells  in  great  abundance,  and  they  poured 
a  perfect  storm  of  missiles — not  less  than  five 
hundred — upon  the  fort  the  first  day  and  until 
eleven  o'clock  at  night." 

"  And  was  nobody  hurt,  papa?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"  One  or  two  of  the  garrison  were  killed,"  re- 
plied her  father,  "  and  Major  Stoddard  of  the 
First  Eegiment,  a  soldier  of  the  Eevolution,  was 
so  badly  wounded  by  a  shell  that  he  died  ten 
days  later  of  lockjaw. 

"  The  British  were  building  a  third  battery 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river;  they  finished  it 
that  night,  and  all  the  next  day  kept  up  a  brisk 
cannonade. 

"  Within  the  next  twenty-four  "hours  a  fourth 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  205 

battery  was  opened.  The  British  had  been 
making  mounds  in  the  thickets  near  the  angles 
of  the  fort,  and  that  night  a  detachment  of 
artillerists  and  engineers  crossed  the  river  and 
mounted  guns  and  mortars  upon  them.  One 
was  a  mortar  battery,  the  other  a  three-gun 
gun  battery.  The  Americans  had  expected 
something  of  the  kind,  and  had  raised  traverses 
in  time  to  foil  their  enemy;  and  when  toward 
noon  of  the  3d  the  three  cannon  and  the  how- 
itzers suddenly  began  firing  upon  the  rear 
angles  of  the  fort,  they  did  scarcely  any 
damage. 

"A  few  shots  by  our  men  from  their 
eighteen-pounders  soon  silenced  the  gun  bat- 
tery, and  the  British  hastily  moved  the  cannon, 
and  placed  them  near  the  ravine.  During  the 
3d  they  hurled  shot  and  shell  steadily  upon 
the  fort,  but  with  so  little  effect  that  the  be- 
siegers grew  discouraged,  and  on  the  4th  the 
fire  was  not  nearly  so  constant. 

"  Then  Proctor  sent  Major  Chambers  with  a 
demand  for  the  surrender  of  the  fort,  and  Har- 
rison promptly  responded,  '  Tell  General  Proc- 
tor that  if  he  shall  take  the  fort  it  will  be  under 


206  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

eureumstances  that  will  do  him  more  honor 
than  a  thousand  surrenders.' 

"  The  cannonade  from  the  fort  was  feeble 
because  of  the  scarcity  of  ammunition^  but 
the  guns  were  admirably  managed,  and  did  good 
execution  at  every  discharge.  Captain  Wood 
wrote, '  With  plenty  of  it  we  should  have  blown 
John  Bull  from  the  Miami/ 

"  The  Americans  showed  their  ability  to  keep 
their  foe  at  bay  by  frequently  mounting  the 
ramparts,  swinging  their  hats,  and  shouting  de- 
fiance at  their  besiegers.  They  were  well  sup- 
plied with  food  and  water  and  could  afford  to 
spend  time  and  weary  their  assailants  by  merely 
defensive  warfare. 

"  Still  Harrison  was  anxious,  thinking  how 
strong  were  the  foe,  and  how  Hull  and  Win- 
chester had  failed  and  suffered;  he  was  looking 
hourly  and  anxiously  up  the  Maumee  for  the 
hoped-for  re-enforcements.  Since  Navarre  and 
Oliver  went  out  he  had  heard  nothing  from 
those  whom  he  had  expected  to  come  to  his  aid. 
But  near  midnight  on  the  4th,  Captain  Oliver, 
Major  Trimble,and  15  men  who  had  come  down 
the  river  in  a  boat,  made  their  way  into  the  fort, 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  207 

Bringing  the  glad  tidings  that  General  Clay  and 
1100  Kentuckians  would  probably  reach  the 
post  before  morning,  being  but  eighteen  miles 
distant. 

''The  cannonading  at  Fort  Meigs  was  dis- 
tinctly heard  at  Fort  Winchester,  where  Oliver 
had  found  Clay  on  the  3d,  and  Clay  was  has- 
tening as  fast  as  possible  to  Harrison's  aid, 
moving  down  the  river  in  eighteen  flat  scows, 
with  sides  furnished  with  shields  against  the 
bullets  of  the  Indians  who  might  be  infesting 
the  shores  of  the  river. 

"  The  head  of  the  rapids  was  eighteen  miles 
from  Fort  Meigs;  it  was  late  in  the  evening 
when  the  flotilla  arrived  there;  the  moon  had 
gone  down,  and  the  sky  was  overcast  with 
clouds,  making  a  night  so  intensely  dark  that 
the  pilot  refused  to  go  on  before  daylight. 
Trimble  and  the  15  others  then  immediately 
offered  their  services  to  go  with  Oliver  to  cheer 
Harrison  and  his  men  with  the  news  that  re- 
enforcements  were  almost  at  hand. 

"It  was  joyful  news  to  them.  Harrison  at 
once  despatched  Captain  Hamilton  and  a  sub- 
altern in  a  canoe  with  an  order  to  Clay  bidding 


208  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

him  detach  about  800  men  from  his  brigade  and 
land  them  at  a  point  about  a  mile  or  a  mile 
and  a  half  above  Fort  Meigs.  The  detachment 
was  then  to  be  conducted  to  the  British  bat- 
teries on  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  These 
batteries  were  to  be  taken,  the  cannon  spiked, 
and  carriages  cut  down.  The  troops  must  then 
return  to  the  boats  and  cross  over  to  the  fort. 

"  The  rest  of  his  men  were  to  land  on  the 
fort  side  of  the  river,  opposite  the  first  landing, 
and  fight  their  way  into  the  fort  through  the 
Indians.  Harrison  knew  that  the  British  force 
at  the  batteries  was  not  large,  the  main  body 
bedng  still  near  the  old  Fort  Miami,  and  that 
the  bulk  of  the  Indians  with  Tecumseh  were  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  river.  His  object  was 
to  strike  effective  blows  on  both  sides  of  the 
stream  at  the  same  time. 

"  While  these  orders  of  his  were  being  carried 
out,  he  intended  to  make  a  sally  from  the  fort, 
destroy  the  batteries  in  the  rear,  and  disperse  or 
capture  the  whole  British  force  on  that  side  of 
the  river. 

"  Clay  came  down  the  river  early  the  next 
morning,  and  about  five  miles  above  the  fort 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  209 

Hamilton  met  him  with  Harrison's  order. 
Clay  then  directed  Dudley  to  take  the  twelve 
front  boats  and  carry  out  Harrison's  commands 
in  regard  to  the  British  batteries,  while  he 
should  hasfen  forward  and  perform  the  part 
assigned  to  him. 

"  Colonel  Dudley  landed  his  detachment  in 
fine  order,  and  they  gained  the  plain  on  which 
Maumee  City  now  stands,  unseen  by  the  enemy, 
formed  for  marching  in  three  parallel  columns, 
one  led  by  Dudley,  one  by  Major  Shelby,  the 
other  by  Acting-Major  Morrison.  Captain 
Combs  with  30  riflemen,  including  7  friendly 
Indians,  flanked  in  front  fully  a  hundred  yards 
distant  Thus  they  moved  through  the  woods 
a  mile  and  a  half  toward  the  British  batteries, 
which  were  still  firing  upon  Fort  Meigs. 

"  There  was  a  prospect  of  capturing  the 
whole  force,  but  Dudley  had  unfortunately 
failed  to  inform  his  men  of  his  exact  plans,  and 
that  was  a  fatal  mistake.  Shelby's  column,  ac- 
cording to  his  orders,  moved  on  to  a  point  be- 
tween the  British  batteries  and  their  camp  be- 
low, when  the  right  column,  led  by  Dudley  in 
person,  raised  the  horrid  Indian  yell,  rushed 


210  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

forward,  charged  with  vehemence  upon  the 
enemy,  eaptured  the  heavy  guns,  and  spiked 
eleven  of  them  without  losing  a  man. 

"  At  the  same  time  the  riflemen  had  been  at- 
tacked by  the  Indians,  and,  not  having  been  told 
that  they  were  to  fall  back  upon  the  main  body, 
thought  it  their  duty  to  fight.  That  was  a 
fatal  mistake,  as  the  main  object  of  the  expedi- 
tion was  already  fully  accomplished,  although 
the  batteries  were  not  destroyed.  The  British 
flag  was  pulled  down,  and  as  it  reached  the 
earth  loud  huzzahs  went  up  from  Fort  Meigs. 
Harrison,  who  was  watching  from  his  chief  bat- 
tery, with  intense  interest,  now  signaled  Dudley 
to  fall  back  to  the  boats  and  cross  the  river  ac- 
cording to  his  former  orders. 

"Probably  Dudley  did  not  see  it,  but  he 
did  see  the  Indians  in  ambush  attacking  Combs 
and  his  riflemen,  and  with  a  quick  and  generous 
impulse  ordered  them  to  be  re-enforced.  In 
response  to  that  a  great  part  of  the  right  and 
centre  columns  rushed  into  the  woods  in  con- 
siderable disorder,  their  colonel  with  them.  It 
did  not  matter  much  at  first,  for,  though  they 
were  undisciplined  and  disorderly,  they  soon 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  211 

put  the  Indians  to  flight,  thus  relieving  Combs 
and  his  men;  but,  forgetting  prudence,  they 
pursued  the  flying  savages  almost  to  the  British 
camp. 

"  When  they  started  on  that  pursuit  Shelby's 
men  still  had  possession  of  the  batteries,  but 
the  British  artillerists,  largely  re-enforced,  soon 
returned  and  recaptured  them,  taking  some  of 
the  Kentuckians  prisoners  and  driving  the 
others  toward  their  boats.  The  Indians,  too, 
were  re-enforced,  came  back,  and  fiercely  at- 
tacked Dudley  and  his  men,  who  were  in  such 
utter  confusion  that  it  was  impossible  to  com- 
mand them.  Shelby  had  rallied  those  that 
were  left  of  his  column  and  marched  them  to 
Dudley's  aid;  but  they  only  participated  in  the 
confusion  and  flight.  That  became  a  precipi- 
tate and  disorderly  rout,  and  the  greater  part  of 
Dudley's  command  were  killed  or  captured. 
Dudley  himself  was  overtaken,  tomahawked,  and 
scalped.  Of  the  800  who  followed  him  from 
the  boats,  only  170  escaped  to  Fort  Meigs. 
Captain  Combs  and  his  spies  were  among  those 
who  were  taken  and  marched  to  Fort  Miami 
as  prisoners  of  war." 


212  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Oh,  how  dreadful  it  all  was!  "  sighed  Grace. 
"I  hope  the  other  two  parties  had  better  suc- 
cess." 

"  Yes,"  her  father  said;  "  while  what  I  have 
just  been  telling  you  was  taking  place  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river,  General  Clay  had  tried  to 
land  the  six  remaining  boats  under  his  com- 
mand nearly  opposite  the  spot  where  Dudley 
had  debarked  with  his;  but  the  current,  swollen 
by  the  heavy  rains,  was  very  swift,  and  drove 
five  of  them  ashore.  The  sixth,  in  which  were 
General  Clay  and  Captain  Peter  Dudley,  with 
fifty  men,  separated  from  the  rest,  kept  the 
stream,  and  finally  landed  on  the  eastern  bank 
of  the  river  opposite  to  Hollister's  Island. 
There  they  were  fired  upon  by  round-shot  from 
the  batteries  opposite  and  by  a  crowd  of  In- 
dians on  the  left  flank  of  the  fort. 

"  Clay  and  his  party  returned  the  attack  of 
the  Indians  with  spirit,  and  reached  the  fort 
without  the  loss  of  a  man. 

"Colonel  Boswell's  command  landed  near 
Turkey  Point.  The  same  Indians  who  fired 
upon  Clay  and  his  men  now  attacked  these. 
Boswell  and  his  men  marched  boldly  over  the 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  213 

low  plain,  fought  the  savages  on  the  slopes  and 
brow  of  the  high  plateau  most  gallantly,  and 
reached  the  fort  without  much  loss.  He  was 
greeted  with  shouts  of  applause  and  thanks, 
and  met  by  a  sallying  party  coming  out  to  join 
him  in  a  prompt  attack  upon  that  portion  of 
the  enemy  whom  he  had  just  been  fighting. 
There  was  only  a  moment's  delay.  Then  they 
went  out,  fell  upon  the  savages  furiously,  drove 
them  half  a  mile  into  the  woods  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet,  and  utterly  routed  them.  So 
zealous  were  the  victors  that  they  would  in  all 
probability  have  made  the  same  mistake  that 
poor  Dudley  did,  had  not  Harrison,  watching 
them  through  a  spyglass,  on  one  of  his  batteries, 
and  seeing  a  body  of  British  and  Indians  glid- 
ing swiftly  along  the  borders  of  the  wood, 
sent  an  aide  to  recall  them.  He — the  aide — was 
a  gallant  young  fellow,  and  though  he  had  a 
horse  shot  under  him,  he  succeeded  in  commu- 
nicating the  general's  orders  in  time  to  enable 
the  detachment  to  return  without  much  loss. 

"  Now  General  Harrison,  ordered  a  sortie 
from  the  fort  against  the  enemy's  works  on  the 
right,  near  the  deep  ravine.  Three  hundred 


214  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

and  fifty  men  were  engaged  in  that,  and  behaved 
with  the  greatest  bravery.  Lossing  says, c  They 
charged  with  the  fiercest  impetuosity  upon  the 
motley  foe,  850  strong,  drove  them  from  their 
batteries  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  spiked 
their  guns,  and  scattered  them  in  confusion  in. 
the  woods  beyond  the  ravine  toward  the  site  of 
the  present  village  of  Perrysburg.'  It  was  a 
desperate  fight,  and  Miller  lost  several  of  his 
brave  men.  At  one  time  Sebree's  company 
were  surrounded  by  four  times  their  number  of 
Indians,  and  their  destruction  seemed  inevitable. 
But  Gwynne  of  the  Nineteenth,  seeing  their 
peril,  rushed  to  their  rescue  with  a  part  of 
Elliot's  company,  and  they  were  saved.  The 
victors  returned  to  the  fort,  having  accomplished 
their  object,  and  bringing  with  them  43  pris- 
oners. They  were  followed  by  the  enemy,  who 
had  rallied  in  considerable  force.  After  that 
day's  fighting,  the  siege  of  Fort  Meigs  was  vir- 
tually abandoned  by  Proctor.  He  was  much 
disheartened,  and  his  Indian  allies  deserted 
him;  the  Canadian  militia  did  likewise." 

"  Was  Tecumseh  one  of  the  deserters,  papa?  " 
asked  Lucilla. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  215 

"N"o;  but  probably  it  was  only  his  commis- 
sion  and  pay  as  a  brigadier  in  the  British  Army 
that  kept  him  from  being  one.  He  had  hated 
General  Harrison  intensely  since  the  battle  of 
Tippecanoe,  in  1811,  and  was  to  have  had  him 
at  this  time  as  his  peculiar  trophy.  He  had 
been  promised  that,  and  the  territory  of  Michi- 
gan had  been  promised  his  brother,  the  Prophet, 
as  a  reward  for  his  services  in  the  capture  of 
Fort  Meigs. 

"  Beside  all  these  discouraging  things,  news 
came  to  Proctor  that  Fort  George,  on  the 
Niagara  frontier,  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Ameri- 
cans and  that  the  little  army  of  Fort  Meigs  was 
soon  to  be  re-enforced  from  Ohio.  He  saw  noth- 
ing before  him  but  the  capture  or  dispersion 
of  his  troops  should  he  remain,  therefore  he 
resolved  to  flee.  But,  to  conceal  that  inten- 
tion, and  in  order  that  he  might  move  off  with 
safety,  he  again  sent  a  demand  for  the  surren- 
der of  the  fort. 

"  Harrison  regarded  it  as  an  intended  insult, 
and  requested  that  it  should  not  be  repeated. 
Proctor  attempted  to  take  away  with  him  his 
unharmed  cannon,  but  a  few  shots  from  Fort 


216  ELSIE  ON  THE  HTTDSOX. 

Meigs  caused  him  to  desist  and  go  without 
them.  One  of  his  gunboats,  in  return,  fired, 
killing  several  of  our  men.  Among  them  was 
Lieutenant  Robert  Walker,  of  the  Pittsburgh 
Blues,  who  was  buried  within  the  fort,  and  his 
grave  may  still  be  seen  there,  marked  by  a 
plain,  rough  stone  with  a  simple  inscription — 
c  Lieutenant  Walker,  May  9,  1813.' 

"  Papa,  did  the  British  carry  off  those  of  our 
men  they  had  taken  prisoners?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"Yes;  and  allowed  the  savages  to  rob,  ill- 
treat,  and  butcher  them  in  the  most  horrible 
manner.  At  Fort  Miami  they  shot,  toma- 
hawked and  scalped  more  than  20,  besides  hav- 
ing murdered  and  plundered  many  on  the  way. 

"It  was  Tecumseh  who  at  last  stopped  the 
fiendish  work,  though  not  till  after  more  than 
40  had  fallen.  And  this  horrible  work  was 
done  in  the  presence  of  General  Proctor,  Colo- 
nel Elliot,  and  other  officers,  as  well  as  the 
British  guard.  They  made  them  run  the 
gauntlet  for  a  distance  of  forty  or  fifty  feet, 
killing  or  maiming  them  as  they  went,  with 
pistols,  war-clubs,  scalping  knives,  and  toma- 
hawks. In  that  way  nearly,  if  not  quite,  as 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  217 

many  were  slaughtered  as  were  killed  in 
battle.  When  those  who  still  remained  alive 
had  got  within  the  fort,  the  savages  raised 
the  war-whoop,  and  began  reloading  their 
guns  with  the  evident  intention  of  resum- 
ing their  horrid  onslaught  on  the  defenceless 
prisoners,  when  Tecumseh,  being  told  of  what 
was  going  on,  hurried  to  the  fort  as  fast  as  his 
horse  could  carry  him.  *  Where  is  General 
Proctor? '  he  demanded;  then  seeing  him  near, 
he  asked  why  he  had  not  put  a  stop  to  the 
massacre.  'Your  Indians  cannot  be  com- 
manded,' replied  Proctor,  trembling  with  fear 
at  the  rage  he  saw  in  the  chief's  countenance. 
'Begone!'  retorted  Tecumseh  in  disdain. 
'  You  are  not  fit  to  command;  go  and  put  on 
petticoats.' ': 

"Was  Proctor  pleased  with  that  answer, 
papa?  "  asked  Ned,  with  a  look  of  amusement. 

"I  think  not  greatly/'  replied  the  captain. 
"  Tecumseh  was  much  disappointed  over  their 
failure  to  take  Fort  Meigs,  and  urged  Proctor 
to  try  again.  Proctor  did  not  feel  willing,  but 
at  length,  near  the  end  of  June,  he  consented, 
and  they  began  making  arrangements  to  do  so. 


218  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"About  that  time  a  Frenchman  who  had 
been  taken  prisoner  with  Dudley's  men  escaped 
from  the  British,  fled  to  Fort  Meigs,  and  told 
Clay  of  the  threatened  danger.  Clay  at  once 
sent  word  to  Harrison,  who  was  at  Franklinton, 
and  to  Governor  Meigs,  at  Chillicothe. 

"  Harrison  believed  it  was  the  weaker  posts 
of  Lower  Sandusky,  Erie,  or  Cleveland,  rather 
than  Fort  Meigs,  they  intended  to  attack.  He 
ordered  troops  under  Colonel  Anderson,  then 
at  Upper  Sandusky,  to  go  at  once  to  Lower 
Sandusky;  also  Major  Croghan,  with  a  part  of 
the  Seventeenth,  and  Colonel  Ball  with  Ma 
squadron  of  cavalry.  He  had  just  held  an  im- 
portant council  with  the  Shawnee,  Wyandot, 
Delaware,  and  Seneca  Indians  at  his  head- 
quarters at  Franklinton.  Circumstances  had 
made  him  doubt  their  fidelity,  and  he  required 
them  to  take  a  determined  stand  for  or  against 
the  Americans;  to  remove  their  families  into  the 
interior,  or  the  warriors  must  go  with  him  in 
the  ensuing  campaign  and  fight  for  the  United 
States. 

"Their  spokesman  assured  the  general  of 
their  unflinching  friendship,  and  that  the  war- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  219 

riors  were  anxious  to  take  part  in  the  campaign. 
Then  Harrison  told  them  he  would  let  them 
know  what  he  wanted  of  them.  *  But/  he  said, 
'you  must  conform  to  our  mode  of  warfare. 
You  are  not  to  kill  defenceless  prisoners,  old 
men,  women,  or  children.  By  your  good  con- 
duct I  shall  be  ahle  to  tell  whether  the  British 
can  restrain  their  Indians  when  they  wish  to 
do  BO.' 

"  Then  he  told  them  of  Proctor's  promise  to 
deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  Tecumseh,  and 
added  jestingly,  '  Now  if  I  can  succeed  in  tak- 
ing Proctor,  you  shall  have  him  for  your  pris- 
oner, provided  you  will  treat  him  as  a  squaw,  and 
only  put  petticoats  upon  him,  for  he  must  be 
a  coward  who  would  kill  a  defenceless  prisoner/ 

"  Harrison  followed  Colonel  Anderson  and 
his  regiment,  and,  learning  from  scouts  that 
numerous  Indians  were  seen  on  the  lower 
Maumee,  he  selected  300  men  to  make  a  forced 
march  to  Fort  Meigs.  He  arrived  there  him- 
self on  the  28th,  and  sent  Colonel  Johnson  to 
make  a  reconnoisance  toward  the  Raisin  to  pro- 
cure intelligence.  Johnson  went,  and  brought 
back  word  that  there  was  no  immediate  danger 


220  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

of  the  enemy  earning  against  Fort  Meigs  in 
force.  Satisfied  of  that,  Harrison,  left  Fort 
Meigs  to  attend  to  duty  at  other  points. 

"  That  was  on  the  1st  of  July.  Late  in  that 
month  the  British  had  fully  2500  Indians  col- 
lected on  the  banks  of  the  Detroit.  These, 
with  the  motley  force  he  had  already  there, 
made  an  army  of  fully  5000  men.  Early  in 
July  bands  of  Indians  had  begun  to  appear  in 
the  vicinity  of  Fort  Meigs,  seizing  every  oppor- 
tunity for  killing  and  plundering.  Tecumseh 
had  become  very  restless  and  impatient;  want- 
ing to  go  on  the  warpath, — especially  when  he 
saw  so  many  of  his  countrymen  ready  for  it, — 
and  he  demanded  that  another  attempt  should 
be  made  to  capture  Fort  Meigs.  He  made  a 
plan  for  the  attack,  and  proposed  it  to  Proctor. 

"It  was  that  the  Indians  should  be  landed 
several  miles  below  the  fort,  march  through  the 
woods  to  the  road  leading  from  the  Maumee  to 
Lower  Sandusky,  in  the  rear  of  Fort  Meigs,  and 
there  engage  in  a  sham .  fight.  That,  he 
thought,  would  give  the  troops  in  the  fort  the 
idea  that  re-enforcements  were  coming  to  them 
and  had  been  attacked.  Then  the  garrison 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  221 

would  sally  forth  to  aid  their  friends,  and 
would  at  once  be  attacked  in  their  turn  by  In- 
dians lying  in  ambush,  while  the  other  Indians 
would  rush  into  the  fort  and  take  possession  be- 
fore the  gates  could  be  closed. 

"  Proctor  consented,  thinking  it  a  good  plan. 
On  the  20th  of  July  he  and  Tecumseh  appeared 
with  their  5000  men  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Maumee.  General  Clay  sent  a  messenger  to 
Harrison  with  that  news.  Harrison  was  doubt- 
ful whether  it  was  Fort  Meigs  or  Fort  Steph- 
enson  they  meant  to  attack,  so  removed  his 
quarters  to  Seneca  Town,  from  which  he  could 
co-operate  with  either.  There  he  commenced 
fortifying  his  camp,  and  was  soon  joined  by 
450  United  States  troops  and  several  officers, 
while  another  detachment  was  approaching 
with  500  regulars  from  Fort  Massac  on  the 
Ohio  River. 

"  On  the  afternoon  of  the  25th  of  July  Te- 
cumseh and  Proctor  tried  their  plan.  The 
British  concealed  themselves  in  the  ravine  just 
below  Fort  Meigs;  the  Indians  took  their  sta- 
tion on  the  Sandusky  road;  and  at  sunset  they 
began  their  sham  fight.  It  was  so  spirited,  and 


222  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDS02T. 

accompanied  by  such  terrific  yells,  that  the  gar- 
rison thought  their  Commander-in-chief  must 
be  coming  with  re-enforcements  and  that  he 
was  attacked  by  the  Indians;  and  they  were 
very  anxious  to  go  out  to  his  aid. 

"  But  Clay  was  too  wise  to  be  taken  in.  A 
messenger  who  had  just  returned  from  a  second 
errand  to  Harrison  had  had  hairbreadth  escapes 
from  the  Indians  swarming  in  the  woods;  there- 
fore, though  Clay  could  not  account  for  the 
firing,  he  felt  certain  that  no  Americans  were 
taking  part  in  the  fight.  Officers  of  high  rank 
demanded  permission  to  lead  their  men  to  the 
aid  of  their  friends,  and  the  troops  seemed 
almost  ready  to  mutiny  because  they  were  not 
permitted  to  go.  But  Clay  remained  firm;  and 
well  it  was  for  them  that  he  did. 

"A  few  cannon  shot  were  hurled  from  the 
fort  in  the  direction  of  the  supposed  fight,  and 
a  heavy  shower  of  rain  came  up.  That  put  an 
end  to  the  fighting,  and  all  was  as  quiet  as 
usual  about  Fort  Meigs  that  night. 

"  Tecumseh's  stratagem  had  failed,  and  as  he 
and  Proctor  were  ignorant  of  the  strength  of 
the  garrison,  they  thought  it  best  not  to  try  an 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  223 

assault  They  lingered  in  the  neighborhood 
for  some  thirty  hours,  then  withdrew  to  the  old 
encampment  near  Fort  Miami;  and  soon  after- 
ward the  British  embarked  with  their  stores, 
and  sailed  for  Sandusky  Bay  with  the  inten- 
tion of  attacking  Fort  Stephenson. 

"  The  Indians  were  to  assist  in  the  attack, 
and  a  large  number  marched  across  the  coun- 
try for  that  purpose. 

"  Clay  quickly  despatched  a  messenger  to 
Harrison  with  all  this  information.  But  I  have 
already  told  you  of  the  attack  upon  Fort 
Stephenson,  and  of  its  brave  defence. 

"Yes,  papa;  and  it  was  very  interesting," 
said  Elsie.  "  Have  we  far  to  go  now  to  get  to 
Fort  Meigs?  and  is  it  just  as  it  was  when  Harri- 
son and  his  men  were  there  ?  " 

"We  may  hope  to  get  there  soon,"  replied 
the  captain;  "  as  it  is  only  eight  miles  above 
Toledo,  and  we  are  nearing  that  place  now. 
But  we  shall  find  only  ruins.'* 

"  Oh,  papa,  what  a  pity!  "  exclaimed  Ned. 

"Not  a  very  great  pity,  I  think,"  said  his 
father.  "It  is  not  needed  now,  and  I  hope 
will  not  be  ever  again." 


224  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  I  hope  that  famous  elm  tree  is  there  yet," 
remarked  Grandma  Elsie. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  the  captain.  "  But 
probably  it  is." 

"  Oh,  what  about  it,  papa?  "  asked  Elsie;  and 
her  father  answered,  "  At  the  beginning  of  the 
siege  all  the  water  the  garrison  needed  had  to 
be  taken  from  the  river.  The  elm  tree  was  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  the  Indians 
used  to  climb  up  and  hide  themselves  in  its 
thick  foliage  and  from  there  fire  across  at  the 
water  carriers.  In  that  way  they  killed  several 
of  our  men.  Then  the  Kentucky  riflemen  fired 
at  them;  and  it  is  said  that  not  less  than  6  of 
them  were  struck  and  fell  to  the  ground  out  of 
that  tree." 

"Why  didn't  our  men  dig  a  well?"  asked 
Ned. 

"  It  seems  they  did  afterward,  for  the  place  is 
spoken  of  as  having  had  a  well  at  the  time  of 
the  political  campaign  of  1840,  when  Harrison 
was  elected  President  of  the  United  States." 

They  were  now  entering  the  Maumee  Bay, 
and  the  talk  ceased,  as  all  wished  to  gaze  about 
upon  the  new  scenes  as  they  passed  through  the 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  225 

bay  and  up  the  river.  They  visited  the  ruins  of 
Fort  Meigs,  then  took  carriages  and  drove  three 
miles  up  to  Presqu'  Isle  Hill,  alighted  there, 
and  wandered  over  the  battlefield  of  the  Fallen 
Timber. 

By  tea-time  they  were  again  on  board  the 
Dolphin,  which  lay  at  anchor  through  the 
night  in  Maumee  Bay.  It  was  a  delightful 
evening,  clear  and  slightly  cool  on  the  water, 
the  stars  shining,  and  a  gentle  breeze  stirring; 
and  they  sat  upon  the  deck  for  an  hour  or 
more. 

"  Where  are  we  going  to-morrow,  papa? " 
asked  Grace  in  a  pause  in  the  conversation, 
which  had  been  running  upon  the  scenes  and 
adventures  of  the  day. 

"  To  Erie,  to  view  it  as  the  scene  of  some  of 
Commodore  Perry's  doings — if  that  plan  suits 
the  wishes  of  those  present,"  returned  her 
father.  "  What  do  you  say,  mother?  " 

"  That  I  highly  approve,"  answered  Mrs. 
Travilla's  sweet  voice. 

"As  no  doubt  we  all  do,"  added  Mrs.  Lil- 
burn. 

"  Yes,"  said  her  husband — "  even  to  the  one 


226  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

who  may  be  suspected  of  belonging  to  the 
British  side.  But  what  doings  there  have  you 
to  tell  of,  captain?" 

"It  was  there  that  Perry's  fleet  was  made 
ready  for  the  celebrated  Battle  of  Lake  Erie," 
said  Captain  Eaymond — "  Perry's  victory  was 
won  September  10,  1813." 

"Just  a  few  weeks  after  the  fight  at  Fort 
Stephenson,"  remarked  Lucilla, 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father;  "  and  at  that  time 
the  fleet  was  nearly  ready.  What  we  now  speak 
of  as  Erie  was  then  called  Presqu'  Isle.  The 
harbor  is  a  large  bay,  one  of  the  finest  on  the 
lake.  A  low,  sandy  peninsula  juts  out  some 
five  miles  into  the  lake.  It  has  sometimes  been 
an  island,  when  storms  have  cleft  its  neck;  and 
it  was  a  barren  sand  bank,  though  now  it  has  a 
growth  of  timber  upon  it.  In  Perry's  time  the 
harbor  was  a  difficult  one  to  enter,  by  reason  of 
having  a  tortuous  channel,  shallow  and  ob- 
structed by  sand  bars  and  shoals." 

"  Was  Erie  a  city  at  the  time  Perry's  fleet  was 
built  there,  papa?  "  asked  Grace. 

"No;  only  an  insignificant  village,  hardly 
twenty  years  old;  and  there  were  many  miles  of 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  227 

wilderness,  or  very  thinly  populated  country, 
between  it  and  the  larger  settlements.  All  the 
supplies  for  our  men,  except  the  timber  for  the 
vessels,  had  to  be  brought  from  a  distance,  with 
great  labor/* 

"  Captain,  was  it  not  at  Erie  that  General 
Wayne  died?  "  asked  Grandma  Elsie. 

"  Yes,"  he  said.  "  In  1794  General  Wayne 
established  a  small  garrison  there  and  caused  a 
blockhouse  to  be  built  at  the  lake  shore  of  Gar- 
rison Hill.  He  returned  there  after  his  victory 
over  the  Indians  in  the  Maumee  Valley,  and 
occupied  a  loghouse  near  the  blockhouse,  where 
he  died  of  gout.  At  his  own  request  he  was 
buried  at  the  foot  of  the  flag-staff." 

"  Is  his  grave  there  now,  papa?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"No,"  replied  the  captain;  "his  remains  were 
removed  to  Pennsylvania  in  1809.  The  first 
building  there  was  a  French  fort,  supposed  to 
have  been  erected  in  1749.  I  think  some  of  its 
remains — ramparts  and  ditches — are  still  to  be 
seen  upon  a  point  overlooking  the  entrance  to 
the  harbor.  When  Canada  became  an  English 
possession  the  fort  was  allowed  to  go  to  decay." 

"Why,  papa?"  asked  Ned. 


228  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Because  it  was  no  longer  needed,  my  son. 
The  blockhouse  built  by  General  Wayne  fell 
into  decay  and  was  replaced  by  a  new  one  in 
the  winter  of  1813—14,  and  a  second  one  was 
built  on  the  point  of  the  peninsula  of  Presqu' 
Isle.  The  old  one  was  burned  by  some  mis- 
chievous person  in  1853." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  highly  approve  of  your  ex- 
pressed intention  to  take  us  to  Erie  to-morrow," 
said  Violet  in  a  lively  tone,  as  the  captain 
seemed  to  have  come  to  the  end  of  his  account. 
"  I  am  sure  that  I  for  one  shall  be  greatly  inter- 
ested in  everything  there  connected  with  the 
past  history  of  our  country." 

All  present  seemed  to  be  of  the  same  opin- 
ion, and  before  separating  for  the  night  every 
arrangement  was  made  for  an  early  start  next 
morning. 

The  yacht  was  again  in  motion  at  an  early 
hour — even  before  any  of  her  passengers  were 
out  of  their  beds.  The  sun  had  not  yet  ap- 
peared above  the  horizon  when  the  captain  was 
joined  upon  the  deck  by  Percy  Landreth. 

"Ah,  good-morning,  Percy,"  he  said  in  his 
usual  pleasant  tones.  "  Showing  yourself  so 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  229 

early  a  bird  makes  me  fear  you  have  not  found 
your  berth  as  comfortable  a  couch  as  could  be 
desired." 

"But  it  is  surely  none  too  early  for  a  per- 
fectly healthy  fellow  to  be  out,  and  I  was  anx- 
ious to  see  the  sun  rise.  I  never  have  seen  it 
come  up  out  of  the  water." 

"  Then  I  advise  you  to  gaze  steadily  east- 
ward, and  you  will  see  it  apparently  do  that  in 
five  minutes  or  less." 

Captain  Eaymond  had  a  strong  suspicion  that 
the  beautiful  sight  they  presently  witnessed  was 
not  all  the  young  man  had  joined  him  for  at 
that  early  hour,  so  he  was  not  surprised  when 
the  next  moment  Percy,  turning  a  rather 
flushed,  embarrassed  face  toward  him,  said  en- 
treatingly,  "  Captain,  I  am  sure  you  are  a  very 
kind-hearted  man;  will  you  not  remove  your 
prohibition  of  two  years  ago,  and  let  me  tell 
Miss  Lu  how  I  admire  and  love  her?  " 

"  Better  not,  my  young  friend,"  returned  the 
captain  pleasantly.  "Believe  me,  you  would 
gain  nothing  by  it,  even  were  her  father  will- 
ing to  let  her  listen  to  such  protestations  and 
engage  herself  while  she  is  still  so  young." 


230  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"Then  she  is  still  free?"  Percy  asked,  hig 
countenance  brightening  somewhat. 

"  Yes — heart  and  hand;  and  I  hope  will  re- 
main so  for  some  years  to  come." 

"  That  is  some  consolation,  captain;  and  it 
is  a  great  pleasure  to  be  with  her,  even  in  the 
presence  of  others,  and  though  prohibited  to 
say  a  word  in  my  own  behalf." 

•/  «/ 

"  Try  to  have  patience,  my  young  friend,"  re- 
turned the  captain,  still  speaking  in  a  kindly 
tone;  "  you  are  young  yet,  and  though  you  can- 
not believe  it  possible  now,  the  time  may  come 
when  you  will  see  some  other  maiden  who  will 
be  even  more  attractive  to  you  than  my  little 
girl  is  now." 

"  I  do  not  know  how  to  believe  it,  sir,"  sighed 
Percy;  but  at  that  moment  the  approach  of  a 
light  footstep  put  a  sudden  end  to  their  talk. 

"Good-morning,  father,  and  Percy  too! 
Why,  you  are  out  unusually  early,  are  you 
not?  "  Lucilla  exclaimed,  holding  out  a  hand  to 
him.  "  Is  it  haste  to  catch  the  first  glimpse  of 
Erie — not  lake  but  city — that  has  brought  you 
on  deck  so  soon?  " 

"Not  only  that,  Miss  Lu;  it  is  a  delightful 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  231 

time  for  being  on  deck — the  sunrise  was  very 
beautiful,"  he  said,  taking  the  pretty  hand  for 
an  instant,  and  giving  it  a  friendly  squeeze; 
"  but  you  are  a  trifle  too  late  for  that." 

"  Yes,"  she  said;  "  but  I  have  seen  it  a  num- 
ber of  times,  and  may  hope  to  see  it  many  times 
more  on  the  waters  of  lakes  or  oceans." 

"I  hope  you  may,"  he  returned  pleasantly. 
"I  wish  with  all  my  heart  that  every  sort 
of  enjoyment  may  be  yours — now  and 
always." 

"Very  kind  of  you,"  she  said  with  a  smile; 
"  but  I  doubt  if  it  would  be  best  for  me  to  be 
always  free  from  every  sort  of  trial  and  trouble. 
Papa,"  turning  to  him,  "  shall  we  have  our 
usual  stroll  back  and  forth  upon  the  deck — 
Percy  joining  us,  if  he  wishes?" 

"Yes,"  her  father  answered,  drawing  her 
hand  within  his  arm;  and  the  three  paced  back 
and  forth,  chatting  pleasantly  on  the  ordinary 
topics  of  the  day  .till  joined  by  the  other  mem- 
bers of  their  party  and  summoned  to  the  break- 
fast table. 

There  was  no  disappointment  in  the  visit  to 
Erie;  it  proved  quite  as  interesting  as  any  one 


232  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

of  the  party  had  anticipated;  the  return  voyage 
was  delightful.  They  anchored  for  the  night  in 
the  near  vicinity  of  the  island  where  they  had 
landed  on  first  coming  to  the  neighborhood, 
and  whence  they  received  their  daily  mail. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"I  WONDEE  if  Walter  won't  be  joining  us 
soon?  "  Lucilla  remarked  to  her  father  as  they 
walked  the  deck  together  the  next  morning. 

"  Probably.  I  should  not  be  surprised  to 
see  him  at  any  time,"  the  captain  said  in  reply. 
"I  have  sent  in  for  the  early  mail,  and — why 
here  comes  the  boat  now;  and  see  who  are 
in  it! " 

"Walter  and  Evelyn!  Oh,  how  glad  I  am! 
I  don't  know  how  often  I  have  wished  she  was 
with  us." 

"  I  knew  you  did,  and  that  you  like  pleasant 
surprises,  so  decided  to  let  this  be  one." 

The  boat  was  already  alongside  of  the 
yacht,  and  the  next  moment  its  passengers 
were  on  deck,  the  two  girls  hugging  and  kiss- 
ing each  other  and  laughing  with  delight. 

"Now,  isn't  it  my  turn,  Eva?"  queried  the 
captain  as  they  released  each  other.  "  Surely 
I  may  claim  the  privilege,  since  a  year  or  two 

833 


234  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

ago  you  and  I  agreed  to  be  brother  and  sister  to 
each  other." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  laughed  Evelyn,  making  no  effort 
to  escape  the  offered  caress. 

"  And,  Lu,  as  I'm  your  father's  brother  I 
suppose  you  and  I  may  exchange  the  same  sort 
of  greeting,"  laughed  Walter,  giving  it  as  he 
spoke. 

"Well,  you  have  helped  yourself;  but  I  do 
not  see  any  exchange  about  it,"  laughed  Lucilla; 
"  but,  considering  your  youth,  I  excuse  you  for 
this  once." 

"  As  I  do  also,"  said  the  captain.  "  It  isn't 
every  young  man  I  should  allow  to  kiss  my 
daughter;  but  youth  and  relationship  may  claim 
privileges.  Lu,  show  Eva  to  her  stateroom  and 
see  that  she  has  whatever  she  wants.  Walter, 
the  one  you  occupied  last  is  vacant,  and  you  are 
welcome  to  take  possession  of  it  again." 

"Thank  you;  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so,"  re- 
turned Walter,  following  the  girls  down  the 
companion-way. 

"  Quite  a  mail,  I  think,  this  morning,  sir," 
remarked  a  sailor,  handing  the  captain  the  mail 
bag. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  235 

Captain  Eaymond  looked  over  the  contents, 
and  found,  besides  his  own,  one  or  more  letters 
for  each  of  his  passengers.  It  was  nearing  the 
breakfast  hour,  and  he  distributed  the  letters 
after  all  had  taken  their  places  at  the  table. 

They  were  a  bright  and  cheerful  party,  every- 
one rejoicing  in  the  arrival  of  Eva  and  Walter, 
the  latter  of  whom  had  been  spending  some 
weeks  among  the  Adirondacks  with  college- 
mates,  then  had  joined  Evelyn  shortly  before 
the  last  of  the  family  left  Crag  Cottage,  and 
undertaken  to  see  her  safely  to  the  Dolphin  on 
Lake  Erie. 

"  As  I  expected,  I  am  summoned  home/'  said 
Percy  Landreth,  looking  up  from  a  letter  he 
was  reading;  "and  I  am  bidden  to  bring  you 
all  with  me,  if  I  can  by  any  means  persuade  you 
to  take  the  trip.  I  wish  you  would  all  accept 
the  invitation.  I  can  assure  you  that  every- 
thing possible  will  be  done  to  prove  that  we 
esteem  you  the  most  welcome  and  honored  of 
guests.  Cousin  Elsie,  surely  you  and  Aunt 
Annis  will  not  think  of  refusing  to  spend  with 
us  at  least  a  small  portion  of  the  time  you  have 
allotted  for  your  summer  vacation?  " 


236  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Cei-tainly  I  mast  go  with  you,"  said  Annis; 
"those  relations  axe  too  near  and  dear  to  be 
neglected.  My  husband  will  go  with  me,  I 
know;  and  you  too,  Cousin  Elsie,  will  you  not?" 

"  I  feel  strongly  inclined  to  do  so,"  returned 
Mrs.  Travilla,  "  and  to  take  the  children  and 
grandchildren  with  me.  What  do  you  say  to 
it,  captain?  " 

"  It  seems  to  me,  mother,  that  for  all  of  us 
to  go  would  make  a  rather  large  party  for  our 
friends  to  entertain,  hospitable  as  I  know  them 
to  be,"  he  replied.  "  Also,  there  are  reasons 
why  I  think  it  would  be  well  for  me  to  remain 
here  on  the  yacht,  keeping  Eva,  Lu,  and  Grace 
for  my  companions.  I  flatter  myself  that  I 
shall  be  able  to  give  them  a  pleasant  time  dur- 
ing the  week  or  two  that  the  rest  of  you  may 
be  absent."  . 

"  And  you  will  let  me  help  you  in  that,  sir?  " 
Walter  said  inquiringly. 

"No;  my  idea  was  to  commit  your  mother 
and  my  wife  and  children  to  your  care — yours 
and  Cousin  Ronald's.  He  must  not  have  too 
much  of  that  put  upon  him." 

"  Seeing  he  has  grown  too  auld  to  be  trusted 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  237 

wi'  wark  in  that  line,  eh,  captain?  "  remarked 
Mr.  Lilburn  in  a  tone  of  inquiry. 

"  Old  enough  to  reasonably  expect  to  be 
allowed  to  take  his  ease,  and  let  women  and 
children  be  cared  for  by  younger  men,"  re- 
turned the  captain  pleasantly. 

"  Such  as  I,  for  instance,"  laughed  Walter. 
"  Mother,  dear,  I  hope  you  feel  willing  to  trust 
me;  and  that  Vi  does  also." 

"  My  dear  boy,  I  am  entirely  willing  to  trust 
you  to  do  anything  in  your  power  for  me  and 
any  of  our  dear  ones,"  Grandma  Elsie  answered 
with  a  loving  look  and  smile  into  her  son's 
eyes. 

"  And  on  the  journey  to  Pleasant  Plains  I 
shall  certainly  do  my  best  for  you  all,  Cousin 
Elsie,"  said  Percy.  ".But,  captain,  surely  the 
yacht  could  do  without  her  owner  and  his  over- 
sight for  a  fortnight  or  so.  And  we  can  find 
room  for  you  all;  there  are  several  families  of 
us,  you  must  remember,  and  each  of  our  homes 
has  at  least  one  guest  room." 

"And  you  are  all  very  hospitable,  I  know," 
returned  the  captain  pleasantly.  "  Perhaps  at 
gome  other  time  I  .may  put  that  to  the  proof, 


238  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

but  there  are  reasons  why  it  does  not  seem  quite 
advisable  to  do  so  now."  The  tone  of  the  last 
words  was  so  decided  that  Percy  did  not  think 
it  advisable  to  urge  the  matter  any  further,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  it  was  settled  that  the  cap- 
tain's plan  in  regard  to  who  should  compose  the 
party  to  go  to  Pleasant  Plains,  and  who  the  one 
to  remain  on  the  yacht,  should  be  carried  out. 

Evidently  the  young  girls  were  well  satisfied 
with  the  decision.  They  had  had  enough 
travel  by  rail  for  the  present,  and  life  on  the 
Dolphin  would  be  decidedly  restful  and  enjoy- 
able, for  they  were  delightful  companions,  the 
captain  was  the  best  and  kindest  of  protectors 
and  providers,  and  there  was  abundance  of 
interesting  reading  matter  at  hand  in  the  shape 
of  books  and  periodicals. 

Percy  was  much  disappointed,  but  did  his 
"best  to  conceal  it,  which  was  the  easier  because 
the  others  were  much  taken  up  with  the 
necessarily  hasty  preparations  for  the  little  trip. 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  without  my  papa,"  Ned 
said  stoutly  at  first. 

"  But  papa  thinks  he  can't  go,  and  it  is  for 
only  a  little  while,  you  know,"  reasoned  his 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON 

mother.  "We  expect  to  come  back  to  papa 
and  sisters  in  a  few  days." 

"But,  mamma,  why  don't  you  and  I  stay 
with  him?  It's  nice  here  on  our  yacht  and 
going  about  to  new  places  'most  every  day." 

"  So  it  is,  son,  but  it  will  be  pleasant  to  see 
those  relatives  who  have  invited  us  to  their 
homes,  and  to  refuse  to  accept  their  invitation 
would  not  seem  kind." 

"  But  papa  does  refuse." 

"  Yes;  he  must  have  some  good  reason  which 
he  has  not  told  us." 

"  Papa  is  going  to  take  care  of  the  yacht,  and 
of  Eva  and  our  sisters,"  said  Elsie,  joining  in 
the  talk. 

They  were  in  their  stateroom,  Violet  putting 
together  such  articles  of  clothing  as  she 
thought  best  to  take  with  them  on  their  little 
trip. 

"But  who'll  take  care  of  us?"  demanded 
Ned. 

"Uncle  Walter,  Cousin  Eonald,  and  Cousin 
Percy.  I'd  rather  have  papa  than  all  of  them 
put  together,  but  our  Heavenly  Father  will  take 
care  of  us,  and  that  is  better  still." 


240  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Yes,  daughter;  He  will  take  the  best  of  care 
of  all  who  put  their  trust  in  him;  and  without 
his  help  no  earthly  creature  can  keep  you  from 
harm,"  said  their  father's  voice  close  at  hand; 
and,  looking  round,  they  saw  him  standing  in 
the  doorway. 

"  Yes,  papa;  and  I'm  so  glad  to  know  it,"  re- 
sponded Elsie.  "  But  I  do  wish  you  were  going 
along  with  us  to  visit  those  cousins." 

"As  I  do,  my  dear,"  said  Violet. 

"Thank  you.  I  should  like  it  myself,  but 
for  certain  reasons  it  seems  advisable  and  best 
for  me  to  stay  behind.  Vi,  my  dear,  let  me  do 
that  packing  for  you." 

The  train  they  had  decided  to  take  left  early 
in  the  afternoon,  and  they  were  busy  with  their 
preparations  until  almost  the  last  moment; 
then  they  bade  the  young  girls  a  hasty  good-by 
and  left  them  on  the  deck,  where  the  captain 
presently  rejoined  them,  after  seeing  the 
departing  ones  safely  on  the  train  and 
watching  it  for  a  moment  as  it  sped  rapidly  on 
its  way. 

"  And  they  are  off,  are  they,  father?  Well, 
I  hope  they  will  all  enjoy  themselves  greatly, 


JELSIE  OX  THE  HUDSON.  ,241 

but  I  am  glad  we  are  left  here  with  you,"  Lu- 
cilla  said  as  he  rejoined  their  little  group. 

"Yes,  I  saw  them  off.  I  hope  their  visit 
will  prove  very  enjoyable  to  them  all,  and  that 
our  stay  here  will  .be  equally  enjoyable  to  us." 

"  That  is  what  we  are  all  anticipating,  cap- 
tain," said  Evelyn.  "I  don't  know  where  in 
the  world  I  should  rather  pass  the  next  few 
weeks  than  on  the  Dolphin  with  you  and  these 
dear  girls  for  company." 

"  That  is  pleasant  news  for  us,"  he  returned 
in  kindly  tones.  "  And  now  what  can  I  do  for 
your  entertainment?  I  am  ready  to  consider 
suggestions  from  each  of  you." 

"  Don't  you  think  we  should  take  Eva  to 
visit  the  different  islands  in  this  group,  papa?  " 
queried  Grace. 

"  Certainly;  if  she  would  like  to  go." 

"  Very  much  indeed,"  said  Eva;  "  I  know  I 
shall  enjoy  going  any-  and  ever}'- where  that 
you  may  be  pleased  to  take  me,  or  just  staying 
on  the  yacht  lying  in  one  place,  if  that  suits 
the  rest  of  you." 

"We  will  try  that  occasionally  by  way  of 
variety,"  the  captain  said  with  a  smile.  "  Shall 


242  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

we  not  do  that  for  the  rest  of  this  day, — as  it  is 
now  almost  dinner  time, — then  start  off  far 
some  other  point  shortly  after  breakfast  to- 
morrow morning?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir! "  they  all  exclaimed;  Grace 
adding,  "And,  papa,  won't  you  take  us  to 
Gibraltar?  It  is  so  picturesque  that  I  think  it 
is  worth  visiting  several  times." 

"  Yes,  and  so  are  some  of  the  other  islands. 
We  will  visit  any  or  all  of  them  as  many  times 
as  you  wish." 

"Well,"  said  Lucilla,  "with  taking  those 
little  trips  now  and  then,  and  having  books, 
work, — needlework  I  mean, — games,  and  music, 
I  think  it  will  be  strange  should  we  find  time 
hang  heavy  on  our  hands." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  Evelyn  with  a  sigh  of 
contentment;  "  I  am  not  in  the  least  afraid  of 
any  such  calamity." 

They  talked  on,  planning  various  little  excur- 
sions to  one  and  another  of  the  islands  and 
different  points  of  interest  upon  the  mainland, 
till  summoned  to  their  meal. 

"It  seems  a  trifle  lonely,"  Grace  remarked 
as  they  took  their  seats  about  the  table. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  243 

"Yes,"  said  her  father,  "but  considering 
how  much  our  absentees  are  probably  enjoying 
themselves,  we  won't  mind  that  for  a  few 
days." 

"Indeed,"  said  Lucilla,  "though  I  shall  be 
glad  to  see  them  come  back,  I  think  it  is 
really  quite  delightful  to  have  papa  all  to  our- 
selves for  a  few  days." 

"  And  for  papa  to  have  these  young  girls  all 
to  himself,  eh?"  laughed  the  captain.  "Well, 
I  won't  deny  it;  and  I  fully  expect  the  girls  to 
make  thedr  companionship  quite  delightful  to 
me." 

"  I  think  we  will  all  do  our  best  in  that  line," 
said  Evelyn.  "  It  would  be  strange  indeed  if 
we  didn't,  when  you  are  so  very  good  and  kind 
to  us." 

"  No  better,  I  think,  than  almost  any  other 
gentleman  would  be  in  my  place,"  he  returned 
pleasantly.  "  Now  let  me  help  you  to  some  of 
this  fowl.  I  hope  to  see  you  all  do  full  justice 
to  what  is  set  before  you." 

"  If  we  don't,  it  will  not  be  the  fault  of  the 
fare,  I  am  sure,"  said  Evelyn.  "Judging  by 
the  meals  I  have  taken  on  board  of  this  vessel, 


244  ELSIE  ON  THE  MUJDSON. 

ehe  must  have  both  a  good  caterer  and  an  excel- 
lent cook." 

"  We  have  both,"  said  Lucilla  emphatically. 

"  Yes,"  said  Grace.  "  I  wish  we  could  share 
this  dinner  with  our  dear  folks  who  left  us  a 
while  ago;  though  perhaps  they  are  getting  just 
as  good  a  meal  at  Pleasant  Plains." 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father,  "  if  all  has  gone  well 
with  them  and  their  train,  they  are  there  by 
this  time;  and,  from  what  I  have  heard  of  the 
housekeeping  of  the  relatives  there,  I  presume 
they  have  been,  or  will  be,  set  down  to  as  good 
a  meal  as  this." 

"  Oh,  yes,  of  course,"  said  Grace;  "  and  that 
was  a  very  foolish  wish  of  mine.  Papa,  how 
shall  we  spend  this  evening?" 

"I  leave  that  to  the  decision  of  my  daugh- 
ters and  their  guest,"  he  replied.  "  I  shall  be 
happy  to  do  my  best  to  entertain  you  in  any 
way  that  may  suit  your  inclinations." 

"  What  may  be  yours,  Eva?  Please  tell  us," 
said  Lucilla. 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  choose,"  said  Eve- 
lyn. "  Several  delightful  ways  of  passing  the 
time  have  been  already  spoken  of,  and  I  should 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  245 

enjoy  any  one  of  them.  I  hope  you  will  give 
us  some  of  your  music;  and  if  the  captain  feels 
inclined  to  spin  us  one  of  his  sailor  yarns,  that 
would  be  enjoyable;  and  I  presume  a  promenade 
on  the  deck  would  be  good  exercise,  helping  us 
to  sleep  well  afterward." 

"A  very  good  programme,"  remarked  the 
captain  as  she  concluded.  "I  think  we  will 
carry  it  out." 

They  did  so,  and,  when  about  to  separate  for 
the  night,  agreed  it  had  been  a  success,  the  time 
having  passed  very  pleasantly. 

The  next  morning  found  them  all  in  good 
health  and  spirits,  and  the  day  was  spent  in 
little  excursions  among  the  islands.  The  even- 
ing brought  a  mail  in  which  was  a  letter  from 
Violet  to  her  husband,  telling  of  the  safe  ar- 
rival of  her  mother,  herself,  and  the  other 
members  of  their  party  at  their  destination,  the 
warm  welcome  they  had  received,  and  the  pros- 
pect that  the  few  days  of  their  proposed  so- 
journ among  the  relatives  of  Pleasant  Plains 
would  be  passed  most  agreeably.  "  There  is 
only  one  drawback  to  my  enjoyment,"  she 
added;  "  I  cannot  feel  quite  content  without  my 


246  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

( 

husband;  and  I  miss  the  dear  girls  too.  So  I 
am  glad  this  visit  is  to  be  but  a  short  one." 

The  captain  read  the  greater  part  of  the  let- 
ter aloud  to  Eva  and  his  daughters. 

"I  too  am  glad  their  visit  is  to  be  short/* 
remarked  Grace  as  he  finished,  "for  I  don't 
like  to  be  without  them,  though  we  axe  having 
a  very  delightful  time  here  with  our  dear,  kind 
father  to  take  care  of  us  and  find  so  many 
pleasant  amusements  for  us." 

"  Ah!  "  he  said  with  a  smile.  "  Where  would 
you  like  to  go  to-morrow?  " 

They  discussed  the  question  for  a  while,  and 
at  length  decided  to  visit  some  of  the  islands 
that  had  been  neglected  thus  far.  Then  they 
went  on  to  plan  an  outing  for  each  weekday  of 
the  time  they  expected  the  rest  of  their  party 
to  be  absent.  These  they  earned  out  success- 
fully; and  each  day's  mail  brought  them  a 
graphic  report  from  Violet's  pen  of  the  doings 
among  their  friends  and  relatives  in  Pleasant 
Plains. 

Several  family  parties  were  gotten  up  for 
their  entertainment,  and  at  one  of  them  Cousin 
Ronald,  at  Walter's  urgent  request,  exercised 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  247 

his  skill  in  ventriloquism,  to  the  great  surprise 
and  delight  of  the  younger  folk. 

They  were  quite  a  large  company,  assembled 
in  the  parlors  of  Dr.  Landreth's  house,  just 
after  leaving  the  tea-table.  Presently  a  buzz- 
ing bee  seemed  to  be  flying  about  among  them, 
now  circling  around  the  head  of  one  person  and 
now  flying  above  that  of  another.  They  invol- 
untarily tried  to  dodge  it,  and  sent  searching 
glances  here  and  there  in  the  vain  effort  to  see 
just  what  and  where  it  was.  It  could  not  be 
eeen.  Presently  it  was  no  longer  heard,  and 
someone  said,  "We  are  rid  of  it,  I  think;  it 
seems  to  have  gone  out  of  the  window." 

But  the  words  were  scarcely  spoken  when 
there  was  a  scream  from  the  porch,  "  Oh,  I'm 
stung!  and  the  bee's  on  me  yet!  Somebody 
come  and  take  it  off!  " 

At  that  the  doctor,  Walter,  and  Percy  rushed 
out  in  response  to  the  entreaty.  But  the  bee's 
victim  seemed  to  have  vanished  with  wonder- 
ful celerity.  The  porch  was  entirely  deserted. 

"  Gone!  gone  already!  who  can  she  have 
been?"  exclaimed  Percy,  glancing  about  in 
great  surprise. 


248  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

B, 

"I  cannot  imagine,"  said  the  doctor;  them 

catching  sight  of  Walter's  face,  which  told  of 
sin-pressed  mirthfulness,  a  sudden  recollection 
came  to  him;  and  he  added,  "Ah,  I  think  I 
understand  it,"  turned,  and  went  back  into  the 
parlor. 

"  Who  was  it?  "  asked  several  voices. 

"Nobody,  apparently,"  answered  the  doctor 
with  a  smile;  and  Percy  added,  "  She  had 
strangely  disappeared." 

"  Well,"  said  a  rough  voice,  seemingly  com- 
ing from  the  hall,  "if  I  was  a  doctor,  and  a 
poor  woman  got  badly  stung  right  here  in  my 
own  house,  d'ye  think  I  wouldn't  do  somethin* 
fur  her?" 

"  Bring  her  in  here,  and  I  will  do  what  I  can 
far  her,"  replied  the  doctor. 

"Hello  here,  Bet!"  called  the  voice;  "I  say,  go 
Tight  along  in  thar  and  see  what  he'll  do  fur  ye. " 

"What  '11  he  do?  p'raps  hurt  me  worse  than 
the  bee  has?"  snarled  a  sharp,  disagreeable 
voice.  "  I  guess  I  won't  resk  it." 

"  All  right  then,  Bet,  let's  go,"  said  the  other 
voice;  "  'taint  our  way  to  stay  long  where  we 
git  nothin'  but  stings." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  249 

A  sound  as  of  shuffling  footsteps  followed, 
then  all  was  still. 

Some  of  the  children  and  young  people  ran 
to  the  door  and  windows,  hoping  to  catch  sight 
of  the  strange  couple,  but  were  surprised  that 
they  could  see  nothing  of  them. 

But  the  bee  seemed  to  have  come  in  again 
and  to  be  buzzing  all  about  the  room — now  up 
near  the  ceiling,  now  down  about  the  ears  of 
one  and  another  of  the  company.  There  were 
dodgings  and  curious  glances  here  and  there, 
exclamations  of  surprise  that  the  creature  was 
not  to  be  seen  as  well  as  heard,  till  their  atten- 
tion was  taken  from  it  by  the  furious  barking 
of  a  dog,  seemingly  on  the  porch,  and  mingled 
with  it  screams  of  pain  and  terror  in  a  childish 
voice;  cries  of  "  Oh,  take  him  off!  he's  biting 
me!  Oh,  oh,  he'll  kill  me!  Oh,  come  quick, 
somebody,  before  he  kills  me! " 

Several  of  the  gentlemen  present  sprang  up 
and  rushed  out  to  the  rescue,  but  found  all 
quiet  on  the  porch  and  neither  child  nor  dog 
in  sight. 

For  a  moment  they  looked  at  each  other  in 
surprise  and  perplexity,  then  a  sudden  recollec- 


250  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

tion  of  Cousin  Ronald's  powers  came  to  one  and 
another,  a  little  amused  laugh  was  exchanged, 
and  they  returned  to  the  parlor,  looking  very 
grave  and  as  much  mystified  as  even  the  young- 
est present. 

"Why,  who  was  it?  and  where  did  she  go> 
to?  "  asked  one  of  the  little  girls. 

"  She  was  not  to  be  found;  nor  was  the  dog," 
replied  Percy.  "  They  seem  to  have  got  away 
very  quickly." 

"Well,  I  wish  I  knew  who  she  was,  and 
whether  the  dog  is  after  her  yet,"  said  Don,  his 
younger  brother.  "  I  think  I'll  go  out  to  the 
street  and  see  if  they  are  anywhere  in  sight." 

"  'Tisn't  worth  while,  little  chap;  you'll  not 
find  'em,"  said  a  voice  from  the  hall  which 
sounded  very  much  like  the  one  that  had  spoken 
first 

"  Is  it  your  doing?  did  you  bring  that  dog 
here?"  asked  the  lad,  jumping  up  and  going 
toward  the  door. 

"Yes,"  said  the  voice;  "but  you  needn't 
worry;  she  wasn't  hurt,  though  she  did  do  sich 
tall  screamin'.  That  was  jist  fer  fun  and  to 
scare  you  folks." 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  251 

V 

te  Who  are  you,  anyhow?  "  asked  Don;  "  and 
why  don't  you  show  yourself?  You  neither 
act  nor  talk  like  a  gentleman." 

"Don't  I?"  asked  the  voice,  ending  with  a 
coarse  laugh. 

"  I  wouldn't  go  out  there  if  I  were  you,  little 
boy;  that  fellow  might  do  you  some  harm," 
said  a  pleasant  voice  that  seemed  to  come  from 
a  far  corner  of  the  room. 

Don  turned  to  see  who  was  the  speaker,  but 
there  was  no  stranger  to  be  seen,  and  the  voice 
had  certainly  not  been  a  familiar  one. 

"Why,"  exclaimed  the  little  fellow,  "who 
said  that?  What's  the  matter  here  to-night, 
that  we  hear  so  many  folks  that  we  can't  see?  " 

As  he  spoke,  a  low  whine,  that  sounded  as  if 
made  by  a  young  puppy,  seemed  to  come  from 
his  pocket  With  a.  startled  jump  and  excla- 
mation, "Oh,  how  did  it  get  in  there?"  he 
clapped  his  hand  upon  his  pocket.  "Why — 
why,  it  isn't  there!  Where  is  it?"  he  cried, 
turning  round  and  round,  looking  down  at  hia 
feet,  then  farther  away  under  chairs  and  tables. 
"I  can't  find  it,"  he  said  presently,  looking 
much  bewildered.  "  Grandpa,  I  never  saw 


252  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

such  things  happen  in  your  house  before — no, 
nor  anywhere  else.  What's  the  matter  with 
me?  am  I  going  blind?" 

"  No,  my  boy,"  said  the  doctor,  "  we  all  seem 
to  be  as  blind  as  yourself — hearing  people  talk 
but  not  able  to  see  them." 

"  None  so  blind  as  those  that  won't  see,"  re- 
marked the  voice  that  had  spoken  last,  but  this 
time  coming  apparently  from  the  doorway. 
"Here  I  am,  and  you  are  welcome  to  look  at 
me  as  closely  as  you  please." 

A  sudden  fierce  bark  from  their  very  midst 
seemed  to  answer  her.  It  was  so  sudden  and 
sharp  that  everyone  started,  and  some  of  the 
children  screamed. 

"Nero,  be  quiet,  sir,  and  walk  right  out 
here,"  said  the  voice  from  the  hall,  and  it  was 
answered  by  a  low  growl;  then  all  was  silent. 

"  Why,  where  did  he  go  ?  and  why  couldn't 
we  see  him?  "  asked  one  of  the  little  ones. 

"  Perhaps  we  might  if  we  knew  where  to  look 
and  what  to  look  for,"  said  Violet  with  a  smil- 
ing glance  at  Cousin  Ko-nald. 

"  But  where's  that  little  pup  that  was  in  my 
pocket?  "  cried  Don,  as  if  with  sudden  recollec- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  253 

tion,  and  glancing  about  the  floor.  "I  can't 
see  how  in  the  world  he  got  there,  nor  how  he 
got  out  again." 

Just  as  he  finished  his  sentence  the  puppy's 
whine  was  heard,  seeming  to  come  from  behind 
the  large  armchair  in  which  Cousin  Konald  was 
seated. 

"  There  he  is  now!  "  cried  Don.  "  I  wish 
he'd  come  out  of  that  corner  and  let  us  all  see 
him." 

"  Perhaps  he  will  if  you  invite  him,"  said  the 
old  gentleman,  rising  and  pushing  his  chair  a 
little  to  one  side. 

Don  made  haste  to  look  behind  it.  "  Why, 
there's  nothing  there!  "  he  cried.  "  What  does 
go  with  the  little  scamp?" 

"  Perhaps  he's  afraid  of  you,  Don,  so  gets  out 
of  sight  as  fast  as  possible,"  said  Percy. 

"  Then  why  did  he  get  in  my  pocket?  "  asked 
Don;  then  added  quickly,  "  But  maybe  he 
wasn't  there,  for  I  couldn't  find  him,  though  I 
clapped  my  hand  on  it  the  instant  I  heard  his 
whine."  Just  then  the  whine,  followed  by  a 
little  bark,  seemed  to  come  from  the  farther 
side  of  the  room,  and  the  children  hurried  over 


254  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

there  to  make  a  vain  search  for  the  strangely 
invisible  puppy. 

"  Where  did  it  go  to?  "  they  asked.  "  How 
could  it  get  away  so  fast?  and  without  anybody 
seeing  it?" 

"  Well,  it  isn't  here,  that's  certain,"  said  one. 
"  Let's  look  in  the  hall." 

They  rushed  out  there,  then  out  to  the  porch, 
looking  searchingly  about  everywhere,  but  find- 
ing nothing. 

"  Oh,  it  must  have  got  away  into  the 
grounds,"  cried  one.  "  Let's  look  there,"  and 
they  ran  down  the  path  to  the  gate,  off  across 
and  around  the  grounds — some  in  one  direc- 
tion, some  in  another.  But  it  took  only  a  few 
minutes  to  satisfy  them  that  no  little  dog  was 
there;  and  they  trooped  back  to  the  house  to 
report  their  inability  to  find  it. 

They  were  all  talking  at  once,  discussing 
their  failure  in  eager,  excited  tones,  when  again 
that  strange,  gruff  voice  was  heard  in  the 
hall. 

"  Say,  youngsters,  what  have  you  done  with 
my  little  dog?  He's  of  fine  stock,  and  if  you 
don't  hand  him  over  right  away — why,  I'll  know 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  255 

the  reason  why,  and  it  won't  be  good  fur  ye,  I 
can  tell  ye." 

"We  didn't  take  him,"  answered  Don; 
"  we've  never  seen  him  at  all — no,  not  one  of 
us;  and  if  we  had,  we  wouldn't  have  done  him 
a  bit  of  harm." 

Just  as  Don  pronounced  the  last  word,  a 
shrill  little  bark  sounded  out  from  behind 
Cousin  Eonald's  chair. 

"  Why,  there  he  is  now! "  exclaimed  Don, 
hurrying  to  the  spot.  "Why,  no,  he  isn't! 
How  does  he  get  away  so  fast?  " 

"  He  seems  to  be  an  invisible  dog,  Don,"  said 
his  brother  Percy;  "and,  if  I  were  you,  I 
wouldn't  let  him  trouble  me  any  more." 

"  No;  but  I've  set  out  to  find  him,  and  I  don't 
mean  to  give  it  up,"  replied  the  little  fellow. 

"That's  right,  Don,"  laughed  his  father. 
"  I'm  pleased  to  see  that  you  are  not  easily  dis- 
couraged." 

"  But  he  might  as  well  be,  for  there's  no  dog 
thar,"  said  the  voice  from  the  hall.  "He's  a 
plucky  little  feller,  but  he'll  not  find  that  thar 
dog  if  he  looks  all  night." 

a  I  guess  I'll  find  you  then,"  said  Don,  run- 


256  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

ning  to  the  door  and  looking  searchingly  about 
the  hall.  "  Well,  it's  the  queerest  thing!  "  he 
exclaimed.  "  There's  nobody  here — nobody  at 
all! " 

"  Is  the  boy  blind,  that  he  goes  right  past  a 
body  and  never  sees  him?  "  asked  the  voice; 
and  Don  turned  quickly  to  see  the  speaker,  who 
seemed  close  behind  him.  But  no  one  was 
there,  and  Don  looked  really  frightened. 
Cousin  Eonald  noticed  it,  and  said  in  kindly 
tones,  "Don't  be  scared,  sonny,  it  was  I  who 
spoke;  and  I  wouldn't  harm  you  for  all  I  am 
worth." 

"  You,  sir?  "  said  Don,  looking  utterly  aston- 
ished. "  How  could  it  be  you?  for  the  fellow 
was  over  here,  and  you  are  over  there." 

"  No;  I  only  made  it  sound  so,"  Mr.  Lilburn 
said  with  an  amused  laugh;  "  and  I  must  con- 
fess that  I  have  been  doing  all  this  screaming, 
scolding,  and  barking  just  to  make  a  bit  of  fun 
for  you  all." 

At  that  the  children  crowded  around  the  old 
gentleman,  eagerly  asking  how  he  did  it  and 
what,  else  he  could  do. 

"I  can  hardly  tell  you  how,"  he  said,  "but 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  257 

perhaps  I  can  show  some  other  specimens  of  my 
work."  He  was  silent  for  a  moment,  seemingly 
thinking.  Then  a  loud,  rough  voice  said: 
"  Hello  there,  youngsters,  what  are  you  bother- 
ing with  that  stupid  old  fellow  for?  Why 
don't  you  leave  him  and  go  off  to  your  sports? 
It  would  be  a  great  deal  more  fun." 

The  children  turned  toward  the  place  from 
which  the  voice  seemed  to  come,  but 
saw  no  one.  They  were  surprised  at  first, 
laughed,  asking,  "Was  that  you,  Uncle 
Ronald?  " 

"  Nobody  else,"  he  said  with  a  smile. 

"  Oh,  hark!  there's  music!  "  cried  one  of  the 
little  girls;  and  all  listened  in  silence. 

"  It  is  a  bagpipe,  playing  a  Scotch  air,"  said 
Percy,  who  was  standing  near  their  little  group. 

"What  queer  music!"  said  one  of  the  little 
girls  when  it  had  ceased;  "  but  I  like  it.  Please, 
Uncle  Ronald,  make  some  more." 

Several  tunes  followed,  and  then  the  chil- 
dren were  told  they  had  monopolized  their 
Uncle  Ronald  long  enough  and  must  leave  him 
to  the  older  people  for  a  while. 

"  But  you'll  do  eome  more  for  us  some  other 


258  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

time,  won't  you,  Uncle  Ronald?  "  asked  one  of 
the  little  girls  as  they  reluctantly  withdrew 
from  his  immediate  neighborhood. 

"Yes,  little  dear,  I  will,"  he  answered  kindly. 

And  he  did  entertain  them  in  the  same  way 
a  numher  of  times  during  his  short  stay  in  their 
town. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"WELL,  papa,  where  shall  we  go,  or  what 
shall  we  do,  to-day?"  asked  Grace  one  bright 
September  morning  as  they  sat  about  the  break- 
fast table  on  board  the  Dolphin. 

"  Let  me  hear  the  wishes  of  all  three  of  you 
in  regard  to  that  matter,"  he  said  in  his  accus- 
tomed pleasant  tones.  '  Evelyn,  what  have  you 
to  say?  Have  you  any  plans  you  would  like 
carried  out?" 

"  No,  sir,  thank  you,"  she  replied.  "  I  shall 
be  perfectly  contented  to  stay  on  the  Dolphin 
or  go  anywhere  you  and  the  girls  wish." 

"I  think  we  have  seen  all  the  points  of 
interest  about  here,"  he  said.  "However,  if 
you  would  like  to  pay  a  second  visit  to  any  one 
of  them  you  have  only  to  say  so." 

Just  as  the  captain  spoke  a  sailor  came  in 
with  the  mail-bag. 

"  Ah,"  said  Grace,  "  I  hope  there  is  a  letter 

259 


260  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

from  Mamma  Vi  saying  that  she  and  the  rest 
will  be  here  to-day  or  to-morrow." 

"Yes,  so  do  I,"  said  Lucilla.  "We  have 
had  a  lovely  time  while  they  have  been  away, 
but  I  shall  be  delighted  to  have  them  back 
again." 

"Yes,"  said  her  father,  "here  is  a  letter 
from  her  to  me."  Then  opening  and  glancing 
over  it:  "  They  are  coming  back  to-day,  and 
may  be  expected  by  the  train  that  gets  into 
Cleveland  near  tea-time.  I  must  go  for  them; 
and  you,  Lucilla — you  and  Grace — may  see 
that  everything  about  the  cabin  and  staterooms 
is  in  good  order  for  their  comfort  and  enjoy- 
ment." 

"Yes,  papa,  we  will,"  they  answered 
promptly,  Lucilla  adding  with  a  merry  look, 
"  We  will  do  the  work  ourselves  if  that  is  your 
wish." 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  said;  "  I  only  meant  that  you 
should  oversee  it,  and  make  sure  that  nothing 
is  left  undone  which  would  add  to  their 
comfort." 

"I  wish  we  had  some  flowers  to  ornament 
the  rooms  with,"  said  Grace. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  261 

'  "You  shall  have,"  replied  her  father.  "I 
have  sent  for  some  hy  the  man  who  has  gone 
to  the  city  to  do  the  marketing." 

"  Oh,  that's  good! "  exclaimed  Lucilla. 
"Papa,  I  believe  one  may  always  trust  you  to 
think  of  everything." 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  he  said  with  a 
smile.  "  But  it  is  very  well  for  my  daughters 
to  think  so." 

"I  do,  papa,"  said  Grace.  "Lu  can't  have 
any  more  confidence  in  you  than  I  have." 

"  Nor  than  I,"  said  Evelyn.  "  And  I  am 
very  proud  of  the  privilege  accorded  me  some 
time  ago  of  considering  you  my  brother, 
captain." 

"Ah?  I  think  I  am  the  one  to  feel  honored 
by  the  relationship,"  he  returned  laughingly. 

"  We  will  start  for  home  pretty  soon,  father, 
won't  we?  "  asked  Grace. 

"  I  presume  so;  we  will  consult  the  others  on 
that  subject  when  they  come.  Are  you  grow- 
ing homesick  ?  " 

"Almost,"  she  answered,  but  in  a  cheery 
tone.  "I  have  enjoyed  our  outings  on  the 
Hudson  and  here  ever  so  much,  but  ours  is  such 


262  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

a  sweet  home  that  I  begin  to  long  to  see  it 
again." 

"  Well,  dear  child,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  gratify 
that  wish  before  long,"  he  replied  in  kindly, 
affectionate  tones.  "I  am  very  glad  you  love 
your  home." 

"It  is  certainly  worthy  of  her  love,"  said 
Evelyn.  "I  don't  know  a  more  delightful 
place;  yet  it  would  not  be  half  so  charming 
without  the  dear  people  who  live  in  it." 

"It  certainly  would  not  be  to  me  without 
the  wife  and  children  who  share  it  with  me," 
said  the  captain. 

They  had  not  left  the  table  long  when 
flowers  were  brought  aboard  in  variety  and 
abundance,  and  they  had  a  very  enjoyable  time 
arranging  them  in  vases,  and  placing  those 
where  they  could  be  seen  to  the  best  advantage. 

"  There,"  said  Lucilla  when  their  labors  were 
completed;  "they  will  do  very  well  while  the 
Dolphin  stands  still,  but  if  she  takes  to  rolling, 
as  I  have  known  her  to  do  at  times  in  the  past, 
we'll  have  to  empty  the  water  out  of  the  vases 
or  it  will  empty  itself  where  it  is  not  wanted  at 
all' 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  263 

"Yes,"  said  her  father,  "but  I  think  you 
may  confidently  expect  her  to  remain  stationary 
at  least  until  to-morrow  morning.  No  one  is 
likely  to  care  to  start  on  the  homeward  journey 
before  that  time." 

"  I  wish  they  were  here  now,"  said  Grace; 
"  but  we  have  hours  to  wait  before  we  can  hope 
to  see  them." 

"Have  patience,  daughter,"  her  father  said 
in  cheerful  tones.  "  The  time  will  soon  pass; 
and,  to  make  it  go  faster,  shall  we  not  row  over 
to  one  of  the  islands  and  have  a  stroll  on  the 
beach?" 

The  girls  all  seemed  pleased  with  that  pro- 
posal; the  captain  gave  the  order  to  have  the 
boat  made  ready,  and  in  a  few  moments  they 
were  on  their  way.  It  was  just  the  kind  of  a 
day  to  make  such  a  little  excursion  very  enjoy- 
able, and  in  a  couple  of  hours  they  returned, 
feeling  in  fine  health  and  spirits  and  ready  for 
either  work  or  play. 

Captain  Baymond  saw  them  safely  on  board, 
presently  followed  them  himself,  and  read 
aloud  an  entertaining  book  while  they  busied 
themselves  with  bits  of  needlework.  Soon  din- 


264  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

ner  was  announced;  quite  a  while  was  spent  at 
the  table,  and  shortly  after  they  left  it,  the  boat 
was  again  in  requisition  to  take  the  captain  to 
the  city  and  bring  him  and  the  returned  travel- 
lers back  to  the  yacht. 

The  time  of  his  absence  seemed  rather  long 
to  the  waiting  girls;  but  when  at  last  the  boat 
came  into  sight,  and  they  perceived  that  it  held 
all  the  expected  ones,  they  were  overjoyed,  and 
when  the  deck  was  reached  the  embraces  ex- 
changed were  warm  and  loving. 

"  This  seems  very  like  a  home-coming,"  said 
Violet.  "  We  have  had  a  delightful  time  with 
our  Pleasant  Plains  cousins,  yet  are  glad  to  be 
again  on  our  own  floating  home." 

"Yes,"  said  her  mother;  "especially  as  we 
hope  it  will  soon  carry  us  to  our  still  dearer 
ones  in  the  Sunny  South." 

"I  am  ready  to  start  for  them  to-morrow, 
mother,  if  you  wish  it,"  the  captain  said  in  his 
pleasant  way.  "I  presume  you  have  all  seen 
enough,  for  the  present  at  least,  of  this  part  of 
our  country." 

He  looked  inquiringly  at  Annis  as  he  spoke. 

"I  am  ready  to  go  or  stay,  as  the  others 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  265 

wish,"  she  said.  "  It  is  now  late  in  September, 
and  the  excessive  summer  heat  will  surely  be 
over  by  the  time  we  reach  our  journey's  end. 
"What  are  your  opinions  and  feelings-  on  the 
subject,  my  dear?  "  turning  to  her  husband. 

"I  care  but  little  one  way  or  the  other,  so 
that  I  have  my  wife  with  me,  and  she  is  satis- 
fied," returned  Mr.  Lilburn  gallantly. 

"  And  that,  I  presume,  is  about  the  way  with 
these  younger  folk,"  remarked  the  captain, 
glancing  around  in  a  kindly  way  upon  them. 

"Yes,  captain,"  said  Evelyn;  "we  are  all 
ready,  I  am  sure,  to  go  or  stay,  as  seems  best 
to  you." 

"  One  can  always  find  enjoyment  wherever 
you  are,  father,"  said  Lucilla. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  Grace.  "But  now, 
good  folks,  please  all  come  down  to  the  saloon 
and  see  our  preparations  for  your  arrival."  She 
led  the  way,  the  others  following,  and  on  reach- 
ing the  saloon  and  seeing  its  wealth  of  adorn- 
ment, they  gave  such  meed  of  praise  as  greatly 
gratified  the  young  decorators. 

"Ah,  it  is  nearly  tea-time,"  said  Grandma 
Elsie  at  length,  consulting  her  watch;  "  and  I 


266  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

at  least  need  to  mate  some  preparation  in  the 
way  of  ridding  myself  of  the  dust  of  travel  by 
rail,"  and  with  that  all  the  returned  travellers 
retired  to  their  staterooms  for  the  few  minutes 
that  remained  ere  the  summons  to  the  tea  table. 

On  leaving  the  table,  all  repaired  to  the  deck, 
where  they  spent  the  evening  in  pleasant  chat, 
finding  much  to  tell  each  other  of  the  doings 
and  happenings  of  the  days  of  their  separation. 

They  closed  their  day  as  usual,  with  a  service 
of  prayer  and  praise  and  the  reading  of  the 
Scriptures,  then  all  except  the  captain  retired 
to  their  staterooms. 

But  it  was  not  long  before  Lucilla,  as  usual, 
stole  back  to  the  deck  for  a  good-night  bit  of 
chat  with  her  father.  She  found  him  walking 
the  deck  and  gazing  earnestly  at  the  sky. 

"Is  there  a  storm  coming,  father?"  she 
asked. 

"  I  think  there  is,"  he  answered,  "  and  prob- 
ably a  heavy  one.  I  think  it  should  make  a 
change  in  our  plans,  for  it  may  last  several 
days.  In  that  case  we  will  be  safer  over  there 
in  Put-in  Bay,  lying  at  anchor,  than  we  would 
be  out  in  the  lake." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  267 

"  Then  you  will  go  over  there,  won't  you, 
father?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  think  I  shall,"  he  said.  "  It  really  mat- 
ters but  little  whether  we  get  home  as  speedily 
as  the  voyage  can  be  made,  or  not  until  a  week 
or  two  later." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  she  returned;  "  and  as 
we  have  an  abundance  of  books  and  games, — 
plenty  of  everything  to  make  the  time  pass 
quickly  and  pleasantly, — I  think  we  need  not 
mind  the  detention." 

"  I  agree  with  you  in  that,"  he  said,  "  and  I 
am  very  glad  that  our  dear  absentees  got  here 
safely  before  the  coming  of  the  storm." 

"Then  you  don't  apprehend  any  danger? " 
she  said  inquiringly. 

"  No;  not  if  we  are  at  anchor  in  the  bay  yon- 
der. Well,  you  came  to  say  good-night  to  your 
father  in  the  usual  way,  I  suppose?  " 

"  Yes,  sir;  but  mayn't  I  stay  with  you  for  a 
little  while?  I  am  not  at  all  sleepy,  and  sEould 
enjoy  pacing  back  and  forth  here  with  you  a 
few  times." 

"  Very  well,  daughter,"  he  returned,  taking 
her  hand  and  drawing  it  within  his  arm. 


268  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON 

They  walked  to  and  fro  for  a  time  in  silence. 
It  was  broken  at  length  by  Lucilla.  "  To- 
morrow is  Friday,  but  you  don't  think  it  would 
be  unlucky  to  start  on  a  journey  for  that  rea- 
son, father?  " 

"  No,  child;  it  is  the  coming  storm,  and  not 
the  day  of  the  week,  that  seemed  portentous  to 
me.  I  have  sailed  more  than  once  on  Friday, 
and  had  quite  as  prosperous  a  voyage  as  when  I 
had  started  on  any  other  day  of  the  week/' 

"It  seems  to  me  absurd  and  superstitious," 
she  said,  "  and  I  know  Grandma  Elsie  considers 
it  so.  Papa,  isn't  that  cloud  spreading  and 
growing  darker?  " 

"  Yes;  and  I  think  I  must  give  orders  at  once 
to  get  up  steam,  lift  the  anchor,  and  move  out 
into  the  bay.  Say  good-night,  now,  and  go  to 
your  berth." 

Violet,  arrayed  in  a  pretty  dressing  gown, 
stepped  out  of  her  stateroom  door  into  the 
saloon  as  Lucilla  entered  it.  "Are  we  about 
starting,  Lu?  "  she  asked.  "  I  thought  I  heard 
your  father  giving  an  order  as  if  preparations 
for  that  were  going  on."  Lucilla  replied  with 
an  account  of  what  she  had  seen  and  heard 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  269 

while  on  deck.  "But  don't  be  alarmed, 
Mamma  Vi,"  she  concluded;  "father  thinks 
there  will  be  no  danger  to  us  lying  at  anchor  in 
Put-in  Bay,  and  I  think  we  will  be  able  to  pass 
the  time  right  pleasantly." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Violet;  "  but  it  will  be  sad 
if  he  has  to  expose  himself  to  the  storm.  How- 
ever, I  suppose  that  will  hardly  be  necessary  if 
we  are  lying  at  anchor.  Yes,  I  think  we  are  a 
large  enough  and  congenial  enough  company 
to  be  able  to  pass  a  few  days  very  pleasantly 
together,  even  though  deprived  of  all  communi- 
cation with  the  outside  world." 

"  So  we  won't  fret,  but  be  glad  and  thankful 
that  we  can  get  into  a  harbor  before  the  storm 
is  upon  us,  and  that  we  have  so  competent  a 
captain  to  attend  to  all  that  is  needed  for  our 
safety  and  comfort,"  returned  Lucilla.  "But 
I  must  say  good-night  now,  for  papa's  order  to 
me  was  to  go  to  my  berth." 

The  Dolphin  was  soon  in  motion,  and  within 
an  hour  lying  safely  at  anchor  in  Put-in  Bay. 
When  her  passengers  awoke  in  the  morning, 
quite  a  severe  storm  was  raging,  and  they  were 
well  pleased  that  it  had  not  caught  them  upon 


270  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

the  open  lake;  and  though  Grandma  Elsie  had 
grown  anxious  to  get  home  for  her  father's 
sake,  she  did  not  fret  or  worry  over  a  provi- 
dential hindrance,  but  was  bright  and  cheerful, 
and  ever  ready  to  take  her  part  in  entertaining 
the  little  company. 

For  three  days  the  ladies  and  children 
scarcely  ventured  upon  deck;  but,  with  books 
and  work  and  games,  time  passed  swiftly,  never 
hanging  heavy  on  their  hands.  Mr.  Lilburn, 
too,  caused  some  amusement  by  the  exercise  of 
his  ventriloquial  powers. 

It  was  the  second  day  of  the  storm,  early  in 
the  afternoon,  and  all  were  gathered  in  the 
saloon,  the  ladies  busy  with  their  needlework, 
the  gentlemen  reading,  Elsie  and  Ned  playing 
a  quiet  game.  Walter  had  a  daily  paper  in  his 
hand,  but  presently  threw  it  down  and  sat  with 
his  elbow  on  the  table,  his  head  on  his  hand, 
apparently  in  deep  thought.  He  sighed  wearily, 
and  then  words  seemed  to  come  from  his 
lips. 

"  Dear  me,  but  I  am  tired  of  this  dull  place! 
— nothing  to  see,  nothing  to  hear,  but  the  rag- 
ing of  the  storm! " 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  271 

**  Why,  Walter!  "  exclaimed  his  mother,  look- 
ing at  him  in  astonishment;  but  even  as  she 
spoke  she  saw  that  he  was  as  much  astonished 
as  herself. 

"I  didn't  make  that  remark,  mother,"  he 
laughed.  "  I  am  thankful  to  be  here,  and  en- 
joying myself  right  well.  Ah,  Cousin  Ronald, 
I  think  you  know  who  made  that  ill-sounding 
speech." 

"Ah,"  said  the  old  gentleman  with  a  sad 
shake  of  the  head,  "  there  seems  to  be  never  a 
rude  or  disagreeable  speech  that  is  not  laid  to 
my  account." 

Then  a  voice  seemed  to  come  from  a  distant 
corner:  "  Can't  you  let  that  poor  old  mon  alone? 
It  was  I  that  said  the  words  you  accuse  him  of 
uttering." 

"  Ah,"  said  Walter;  "  then  show  yourself,  and 
let  us  see  what  you  are  like." 

"  I  am  not  hiding,  and  don't  object  to  being 
looked  at,  though  I  am  not  half  so  well  worth 
looking  at  as  some  of  the  other  people  in  this 
room." 

"  Well,  that  acknowledgment  shows  that  you 
are  not  vain  and  conceited,"  said  Walter. 


272  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Who  would  dare  call  me  that?  "  asked  the 
voice  in  angry,  indignant  tones. 

The  words  were  quickly  followed  by  a  sharp 
bark,  and  then  the  angry  spitting  of  a  cat,  both 
seeming  to  come  from  under  the  table. 

Little  Elsie,  who  was  sitting  close  beside  it, 
sprang  up  with  a  startled  cry  of  "  Oh,  whoee 
dog  and  cat  are  they?  " 

"  Cousin  Ronald's,"  laughed  Ned,  peeping 
under  the  table  and  seeing  nothing  there. 

At  that  instant  a  bee  seemed  to  fly  close  to 
the  little  boy's  ear,  then  circle  round  his  head, 
and  he  involuntarily  dodged  and  put  up  his 
hand  to  drive  it  away.  Then  he  laughed,  say- 
ing in  mirthful  tones,  "  Oh,  that  was  just 
Cousin  Eonald,  I  know!  " 

The  older  people  were  looking  on  and  laugh- 
ing, but  Lucilla  started  and  sprang  to  her  feet 
with  an  exclamation  of  affright  as  the  loud, 
fierce  bark  of  a  seemingly  ferocious  big  dog 
sounded  close  to  her  ear.  Everybody  laughed, 
she  among  the  rest,  but  she  said  pleadingly: 
"  Oh,  don't  do  that  again,  Cousin  Ronald!  I 
didn't  know  I  had  any  nerves,  but  I  believe  I 
have," 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  273 

"  Well,  daughter,  don't  encourage  them,"  her 
father  said  in  kind  and  tender  tones,  taking 
her  hand  in  his  as  he  spoke,  for  she  was  close 
at  his  side,  as  she  was  pretty  sure  to  be  when- 
ever she  could  manage  it. 

"  I  am  truly  sorry  if  I  hurt  those  nerves,  Lu," 
said  the  old  gentleman  kindly.  "  I  meant  but 
to  afford  amusement,  and  shall  be  more  care- 
ful in  the  future." 

"Do  some  more,  Cousin  Eonald;  oh,  please 
do  some  more,  without  scaring  Lu  or  any- 
body," pleaded  Ned. 

"Ned,  Ned,  it's  time  to  go  to  bed,"  said  a 
voice  seeming  to  come  from  the  door  of  the 
stateroom  where  the  little  boy  usually  passed 
the  night. 

"  No,  sir,  you're  mistaken,"  he  answered;  "  it 
won't  be  that  for  two  or  three  hours  yet." 

"Captain,"  called  a  voice  that  seemed  to  come 
from  overhead,  "  please  come  up  here,  sir,  and 
see  if  all  is  going  well  with  the  vessel." 

Captain  Raymond  looked  up.  "I  think  I 
can  trust  matters  to  you  for  the  present,  my 
men,"  he  said.  "  We  are  in  a  safe  harbor  and 
have  little  or  nothing  to  fear." 


274  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Papa,  did  somebody  call  you?  "  asked  Ned. 

"I  rather  think  Cousin  Eonald  did,"  an- 
swered the  captain;  "  but  I  don't  intend  to  go 
to  the  deck  to  find  him,  or  answer  his  call  to  it, 
while  he  sits  here." 

"  No;  what  business  has  he  to  treat  you  so?  " 
said  a  voice  that  sounded  like  a  woman's.  "  He 
ought  to  be  glad  to  see  you  sit  down  and  take  a 
rest  occasionally." 

"  So  he  is,"  said  Cousin  Ronald,  speaking  in 
his  natural  tone  and  manner.  "  He  is  always 
glad  to  have  such  busy  folks  take  a  bit  o'  rest." 

"  But  please  don't  you  take  a  rest  yet,  Cousin 
Eonald;  we  want  you  to  make  some  more  fun 
for  us  first — if  you're  not  too  tired,"  said  Ned, 
in  coaxing  tones. 

"I  am  more  than  willing,  laddie,"  returned 
the  old  gentleman  pleasantly,  "  for  fun  is  oft- 
times  beneficial,  particularly  to  little  chaps  such 
as  you." 

"  I  am  bigger  than  I  used  to  be,"  said  Ned, 
"  but  I  like  fun  quite  as  well  as  I  ever  did." 

"  Very  strange,"  said  Lucilla,  "  very  strange 
that  a  grave  old  man  such,  as  you  should  care 
for  fun." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  275 

"Yes,  but  my  sister  Lu  likes  it,  and  she's 
older — a  great  deal  older  than  I  am,"  returned 
the  little  fellow,  looking  up  into  her  face  with 
eyes  that  sparkled  with  fun. 

At  that  she  laughed  and  gave  him  a  kiss. 

"  Yes,  I  am  a  great  deal  older  than  you,  and 
so  you  ought  to  treat  me  with  great  respect," 
she  said. 

"  Ought  I,  papa?  "  he  asked,  turning  to  their 
father. 

"  It  would  he  quite  well  to  do  so,  if  you  want 
the  reputation  of  being  a  little  gentleman,"  re- 
plied the  captain,  regarding  his  little  son  with 
a  smile  of  amusement. 

But  at  that  instant  there  came  a  sound  as  of 
a  shrill  whistle  overhead,  followed  by  a  shout  in 
stentorian  tones:  "  Hello!  look  out  there!  Ship 
ahoy!  Do  you  mean  to  run  into  us?  If  we 
get  foul  of  each  other  somebody  may  be  sent 
to  Davy  Jones'  locker." 

Everybody  started,  and  the  captain  rose  to 
his  feet,  a  look  of  anxiety  coming  over  his 
face. 

But  Cousin  Eonald  gave  him  a  roguish  look. 

"I   wouldn't   mind   it,   captain,"    he   said. 


276  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

"It's  only  a  false  alarm.  I  doubt  if  there  is 
any  vessel  near  us." 

The  captain  reseated  himself,  while  Grace 
exclaimed  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  "  Oh,  I  am  so 
glad  it  was  but  a  false  alarm!  A  collision 
would  be  so  dreadful,  either  to  us  or  to  the 
people  on  the  other  vessel,  and  maybe  to  both/* 

"  Oh,  it  was  just  you,  was  it,  Cousin  Eon- 
aid?"  laughed  Ned.  "Please  do  some  more." 

At  that  instant  there  was  a  loud  squeak,  a8 
of  a  mouse  that  seemed  to  be  on  his  own  shoul- 
der, and  he  started  to  his  feet  with  a  loud 
scream:  "  Oh,  take  it  off,  papa!  Quick,  quick!" 

Everybody  laughed;  and  Lucilla  said  teas- 
ingly,  "I'm  afraid  you  are  not  fit  to  be  a  sol- 
dier yet,  Neddie  boy." 

"Maybe  I  will  be  by  the  time  I'm  tall 
enough,"  he  returned  rather  shamefacedly. 

"Yes,  son,  I  believe  you  will,"  said  his 
father.  "  I  don't  expect  a  son  of  mine  to  grow 
up  to  be  a  coward." 

"  I  might  have  known  it  was  Cousin  Eonald, 
and  not  a  real  mouse,  on  my  shoulder,"  re- 
marked the  little  fellow  with  a  mortified  air; 
a  but  I  didn't  think  just  the  first  minute." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON,  277 

"  Cousin  Eonald  on  your  shoulder?  "  laughed 
Lucilla.  "  I  don't  think  he  could  stand  there; 
and  his  weight  would  be  quite  crushing  to 
you." 

"Of  course  it  would.  He  couldn't  stand 
there  at  all,"  laughed  Ned. 

"  No,"  said  Mr.  Lilburn,  "  it  would  be  much 
more  sensible  for  me  to  take  you  on  my  shoul- 
der." 

"  Papa  takes  me  on  his  sometimes,"  said  Ned, 
"but  not  so  often  now  as  he  used  to  when  I 
was  a  little  boy." 

"Ha,  ha,  ha!  what  are  you  now,  sonny?" 
asked  a  voice  that  seemed  to  come  from  a  dis- 
tance. 

Ned  colored  up.  "I'm  a  good  deal  bigger 
now  than  I  was  once,"  he  said. 

"And  hoping  to  grow  a  good  deal  bigger 
yet,"  added  his  father,  smiling  down  into  the 
little  flushed,  excited  face. 

"Yes,  papa,  I  hope  to  be  as  big  as  brother 
Max,  or  you,  some  of  these  days,"  returned  the 
child. 

"Don't  be  in  a  hurry  about  growing  up," 
wid  the  voice  that  had  spoken  a  moment  before. 


278  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Grown  folk  have  troubles  and  trials  the  little 
ones  know  nothing  about." 

"  But  the  grown-ups  may  hope  to  do  more  in 
the  world  than  the  little  ones/'  said  Walter. 

"Is  that  why  you  are  growing  up,  Uncle 
Walter?  "  asked  Ned. 

"  That's  why  I  am  glad  to  grow  up/'  replied 
Walter. 

"Like  papa?" 

"Yes;  and  like  grandpa  and  other  good 
men." 

"  Well,  I  want  to  be  a  man  just  like  my  own 
dear  papa,"  said  the  little  fellow,  looking  with 
loving  admiration  up  into  his  father's  face. 

"That's  right,  bit  laddie,  follow  closely  in 
his  footsteps,"  said  the  voice,  that  seemed  to 
come  from  that  distant  corner. 

But  now  came  the  call  to  the  supper  table^ 
and  so  ended  the  sport  for  that  day. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

IT  was  still  raining  heavily  when  the  Sabbath 
morning  dawned  upon  Lake  Erie  and  Put-in 
Bay.  But  the  faces  that  gathered  about  the 
breakfast  table  of  the  Dolphin  were  bright  and 
cheery.  Everybody  was  well  and  in  good 
spirits. 

"  This  is  a  long  storm,  but  I  think  will  be 
over  by  to-morrow,"  remarked  the  captain  as 
lie  filled  the  plates. 

"  The  time  has  not  seemed  long  to  me,"  said 
Annis,  "  for  even  though  deprived  of  the  pleas- 
ure of  being  on  deck  we  have  been  by  no  means 
a  dull  party." 

"  No,  not  by  any  means,  and  Mr.  Lilburn  has 
made  a  great  deal  of  fun  for  us,"  said  Evelyn. 

"  And  feels  well  repaid  by  the  evident  enjoy- 
ment of  the  little  company,"  he  said,  glancing 
around  upon  them  with  a  pleasant  smile. 

"But  of  course  that  kind  of  sport  won't  do 
for  to-day,"  said  Walter;  "  and  I  presume  it  is 
too  stormy  for  anybody  to  go  ashore  to  attend 

279 


280  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

church."  With  the  concluding  words  he 
turned,  toward  the  captain  inquiringly. 

"  Quite  so,"  was  the  reply.  "  We  will  have 
to  content  ourselves  with  such  a  service  as  can 
be  conducted  on  board." 

"Which  will  probably  be  quite  as  good  and 
acceptable  as  many  a  one  conducted  on  land," 
said  Mr.  Lilburn.  "  I  have  greatly  enjoyed  the 
few  I  have  been  privileged  to  attend  on  this 
vessel  in  the  past." 

"And  I,"  said  Grandma  Elsie;  "we  are  as 
near  the  Master  here  as  anywhere  else;  and 
when  we  cannot  reach  a  church,  we  can  rejoice 
in  that  thought — in  the  remembrance  that  he 
is  just  as  near  us  here  as  anywhere  else." 

"  We  will  have  a  sermon,  prayers,  and  hymns 
this  morning,  and  a  Bible  class  this  afternoon, 
won't  we,  papa?  "  asked  Grace. 

"Yes."  he  said;  "but  our  guests  must  feel 
entirely  free  to  attend  our  services  or  not  as 
they  feel  inclined." 

"  This  one  will  feel  inclined  to  attend,"  said 
Walter. 

"This  one  also,"  added  Evelyn;  "she  will 
esteem  it  a  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  do  so." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  281 

"As  I  do,"  said  Lucilla,  "Father  always 
makes  a  Bible  lesson,  and  any  kind  of  religious 
sendees,  interesting  and  profitable." 

"  I  always  enjoy  them/'  said  Violet,  "  and  I 
know  Grace  and  the  little  folks  do.  Is  not  that 
so,  Elsie  and  Ned?"  Both  gave  a  prompt 
assent,  and  Grace  said:  "  There  is  no  kind  of 
service  I  like  better.  So  I  do  not  feel  tempted 
to  fret  over  the  stormy  weather." 

"  Ah,"  said  the  captain  with  a  smile,  "  I  am 
well  content  with  the  views  and  feelings  ex- 
pressed by  my  prospective  audience.  We  will 
hold  our  services  in  the  saloon,  beginning  at 
eleven  o'clock." 

Accordingly,  all — including  the  crew — gath- 
ered there  at  the  appointed  hour,  listened  at- 
tentively to  the  reading  of  an  excellent  sermon, 
and  united  in  prayer  and  praise. 

In  the  afternoon  they  gathered  there  again, 
each  with  a  Bible  in  hand,  and  spent  an  hour 
in  the  study  of  the  Scriptures. 

As  in  the  morning  service,  the  captain  was 
their  leader. 

"Let  us  take  the  sea  for  our  subject,"  he 
eaid,  "  and  learn  some  of  the  things  the  Bible 


282  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

says  of  it.  Cousin  Bonald,  what  can  you  tell 
us  or  read  us  on  the  subject?  " 

"  There  is  a  great  deal  to  be  said,"  replied 
the  old  gentleman.  "It  is  spoken  of  in  the 
very  first  chapter  of  the  Bible — '  the  gathering 
together  of  the  waters  called  the  seas.'  In  the 
twentieth  chapter  of  Exodus  we  are  told,  'In 
six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the 
sea  and  all  that  in  them  is';  and  in  the  fifth 
verse  of  Psalm  ninety-five,  '  The  sea  is  his,  and 
he  made  it.'  The  Hebrews  called  all  large  col- 
lections of  waters  seas.  The  Mediterranean 
was  the  Great  Sea  of  the  Hebrews. 

"In  the  Temple  was  a  great  basin  which 
Solomon  had  made  for  the  convenience  of  the 
priests;  they  drew  water  out  of  it  for  washing 
their  hands  or  feet,  or  anything  they  might 
wish  to  cleanse. 

"  The  Orientals  sometimes  gave  the  name  of 
sea  to  great  rivers  overflowing  their  banks — 
such  as  the  Nile,  the  Tigris,  and  the  Euphrates, 
because  by  their  size,  and  the  extent  of  their 
overflowing,  they  seemed  like  small  seas  or 
great  lakes.  The  sea  is  also  taken  for  a  multi- 
tude or  deluge  of  enemies.  Jeremiah  tells  us 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  283 

the  sea  is  come  up  upon  Babylon.  But  I  am 
taking  more  than  my  turn.  Let  us  hear  from 
someone  else." 

"  From  you,  Cousin  Annis,"  the  captain  said, 
looking  at  her. 

"No,  I  have  not  studied  the  subject  suffi- 
ciently/' she  said,  "  but  doubtless  Cousin  Elsie 
has."  . 

"  Let  me  read  a  verse  in  the  last  chapter  of 
Micah,"  responded  Grandma  Elsie,  and  went  on 
to  do  so: 

" '  He  will  turn  again,  he  will  have  compas- 
sion upon  us;  he  will  subdue  our  iniquities;  and 
thou  wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into  the  depths  of 
the  sea.' 

"  What  a  gracious  and  precious  assurance  it 
is! "  she  said.  "  What  is  cast  into  the  sea  is 
generally  supposed  to  be  lost  beyond  recovery 
— we  do  not  expect  ever  to  see  it  again;  so  to 
be  told  that  our  sins  are  cast  there  imports 
that  they  are  to  be  seen  and  heard  of  no 
more." 

"  Because  Jesus  died  for  us  and  washed  them 
all  away  in  his  precious  blood?"  asked  Little 
Elsie  softly. 


284  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  Yes,  dear,  that  is  just  what  it  means/'  re- 
plied her  grandmother. 

Evelyn's  turn  had  come,  and  she  read:  "'And 
before  the  throne  there  was  a  sea  of  glass  like 
unto  crystal.'  Cruden  says,"  she  continued, 
"  that  it  probably  signified  the  blood  of  Christ, 
whereby  our  persons  and  services  are  made  ac- 
ceptable to  God;  and  that  it  was  called  a  sea  in 
allusion  to  the  molten  sea  of  the  Temple.  Also 
that  it  is  represented  as  a  sea  of  glass  like  unto 
crystal,  to  denote  the  spotless  innocence  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  his  sufferings;  that  his 
was  not  the  blood  of  a  malefactor,  but  of  an 
innocent  person." 

"  One  suffering  not  for  his  own  sins,  but  for 
the  sins  of  others,"  sighed  Grandma  Elsie. 
"  What  wondrous  love  and  condescension;  and, 
oh,  what  devoted,  loving,  faithful  servants  to 
him  should  we  ever  be!  " 

"  We  should,  indeed,"  said  the  captain,  then 
motioned  to  Lucilla  that  it  was  her  turn. 

"  *  He  shall  have  dominion  also  from  sea  to 
sea,  and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the 
earth,' "  she  read.  Then  turning  over  the 
leaves,  "  That  was  in  the  Psalms,"  she  said; 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  285 

"and  here  in  Zachariah  the  prophecy  is  re- 
peated in  almost  the  same  words,  '  And  his  do- 
minion shall  be  from  sea  even  to  sea,  and  from 
the  river  to  the  ends  of  the  earth/  The  do- 
minion of  Christ,  is  it  not,  father?  " 

"Certainly;  it  can  be  no  other,"  he  said. 
"  Now,  Grace,  it  is  your  turn." 

"  Mine  is  in  the  New  Testament,"  she  said — 
"the  eighth  chapter  of  Matthew,  beginning 
with  the  twenty-third  verse.  'And  when  he 
was  entered  into  a  ship,  his  disciples  fol- 
lowed him.  And  behold  there  arose  a  great 
tempest  in  the  sea,  insomuch  that  the  ship  was 
covered  with  the  waves:  but  he  was  asleep. 
And  his  disciples  came  to  him  and  awoke  him, 
saying,  Lord  save  us:  we  perish.  And  he  saith 
unto  them,  Why  are  ye  fearful,  0  ye  of  little 
faith?  Then  he  arose  and  rebuked  the  winds 
and  the  sea;  and  there  was  a  great  calm.  But 
the  men  marvelled,  saying,  What  manner  of 
man  is  this,  that  even  the  winds  and  the  sea 
obey  him/  " 

"  It  is  such  a  pretty  story,"  said  Little  Elsie. 
"How  kind  Jesus  was  never  to  get  angry, 
though  they  waked  him  out  of  his  sleep  when 


286  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

he  must  have  been  so  very,  very  tired.  He 
might  have  scolded  them,  and  asked  didn't  they 
know  they  couldn't  drown  while  he  was  with 
them  in  the  ship." 

"  Yes,"  her  father  said;  "  and  let  us  learn  of 
him  to  be  patient,  unselfish,  and  forgiving." 

It  was  Walter's  turn,  and  he  read:  "'And 
when  even  was  come,  the  ship  was  in  the  midst 
of  the  sea,  and  he  alone  on  the  land.  And  he 
saw  them  toiling  in  rowing;  for  the  wind  was 
contrary  unto  them;  and  about  the  fourth  watch 
of  the  night  he  cometh  unto  them,  walking 
upon  the  sea,  and  would  have  passed  by  them. 
But  when  they  saw  him  walking  upon  the  sea, 
they  supposed  it  had  been  a  spirit,  and  cried 
out;  for  they  all  saw  him  and  were  troubled. 
And  immediately  he  talked  with  them,  and 
saith  unto  them,  Be  of  good  cheer:  it  is  I;  be 
not  afraid/ '' 

"  This  is  mine,"  said  Elsie.  " '  And  he  went 
forth  again  by  the  seaside:  and  all  the  multi- 
tudes resorted  unto  him,  and  he  taught  them.' '' 

It  was  Ned's  turn,  and  he  read:  "  And  he  be- 
gan again  to  teach  by  the  seaside :  and  there- 
was  gathered  unto  him  a  great  multitude,  so 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  287 

that  he  entered  into  a  ship,  and  sat  in  the  sea; 
and  the  whole  multitude  was  by  the  sea  on  the 
land/" 

"  I  think  this  was  a  very  nice  lesson,"  Elsie 
said  as  they  closed  their  books.  "  I  shall  think 
of  it  often  while  we  are  on  the  sea.  This — 
Lake  Erie — is  as  much  of  a  sea  as  the  Lake  of 
Tiberias  or  Sea  of  Galilee,  isn't  it,  papa?  " 

"I  think  so,"  he  said;  "and  in  a  few  days 
we  axe  likely  to  be  on  a  real  sea — the  great 
Atlantic  Ocean." 

"  And  God  can  take  care  of  us  there  just  as 

• 

well  as  anywhere  else,  can't  he,  papa?  "  asked 
Ned  in  a  tone  that  was  half  inquiry,  half  asser- 
tion. 

"  Certainly,  my  son,  he  is  the  creator  of  all 
things,  the  ruler  of  all  the  universe,  and  '  none 
can  stay  his  hand  or  say  unto  him,  What  doest 
thou? ' " 

"Papa,"  said  Ned,  "mightn't  I  ask  him  to 
stop  this  storm,  so  we  could  go  right  on  home?  " 

"  You  can  ask  him,  son,  to  do  it  if  Tie  sees 
best,  but  you  must  be  willing  that  he  should 
not  do  what  you  wish  if  he  does  not  see  best. 
God  knows  what  is  best  for  us,  and  we  do  not, 


288  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

but  often  desire  what  would  be  very  bad 
for  us." 

"  Well,  papa,  I'll  try  to  ask  that  way,"  said 
the  little  boy.  "But  I'm  very  tired  of  these 
dark,  rainy  days,  and  of  staying  still  in  one 
place  where  we  don't  see  anything,  and  I  hope 
our  Heavenly  Father  will  let  us  start  away  to- 
morrow." 

"Neddie,  dear,"  said  his  grandmother,  "don't 
forget  what  a  blessing  it  has  been  that  we  had 
this  safe  harbor  close  at  hand  when  the  storm 
was  coming,  so  that  we  could  run  right  into  it. 
If  we  had  been  away  out  upon  the  lake  our  ves- 
sel might  have  been  wrecked." 

"  Yes,  grandma,  I  am  glad  and  thankful  for 
that,"  he  said;  "I'm  afraid  I  was  grumbling 
just  now,  but  I  don't  intend  to  do  so  any 
more." 

"I'll  be  glad  when  good  weather  comes 
again,"  remarked  Elsie,  "  but  I  have  really  en- 
joyed myself  right  well  these  days  that  we  have 
had  to  spend  in  the  cabin;  Cousin  Ronald  has 
made  a  great  deal  of  fun  for  us." 

"Yes,  indeed!"  exclaimed  Ned  earnestly, 
and  laughing  as  he  spoke;  "  it  was  lots  of  fun 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  289 

to  hear  people  talking  and  animals  barking  and 
squealing  when  they  weren't  really  here  at  all. 
Now,  what  are  you  all  laughing  at?  "  he  asked 
in  conclusion. 

"  At  your  animals,"  said  Lucilla.  "  I  under- 
stood that  all  the  barking  and  squealing  you 
talk  about  was  the  doing  of  a  very  nice  old 
gentleman." 

"  Yes,"  said  N"ed  a  trifle  shamefacedly;  "  but 
please  don't  be  hurt  or  affronted,  Cousin 
Ronald;  I  didn't  know  how  to  say  it  any 
better." 

"  No,  sonny,  and  you  meant  it  all  right,"  the 
old  gentleman  answered  pleasantly.  "I  am 
very  glad  to  be  able  to  furnish  amusement  for 
so  good  and  lovable  a  bit  of  a  kinsman  as 
yourself." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I  like  that  word — kins- 
man," said  the  little  boy,  regarding  Mr.  Lilburn 
with  sparkling  eyes.  "It  means  a  relation, 
doesn't  it?" 

"  Yes,  just  that,  laddie.  Your  grandmother 
and  mother  are  of  my  kin,  and  that  makes  you 
so  too.  I  hope  you  are  not  ill-pleased  to  own 
so  auld  a  cousin?" 


290  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"No,  indeed,  sir,"  said  Neddie  earnestly; 
"  and  I'll  try  to  behave  so  well  that  you  won't 
ever  feel  ashamed  to  own  me  for  your  kin." 

"  It  will  be  a  great  surprise  to  me  if  ever  I 
do  feel  my  relationship  to  you  and  yours  a  dis- 
grace, laddie/'  the  old  gentleman  said  with  a 
smile.  Then,  turning  to  Violet,  "  Could  not  you 
give  us  a  bit  o'  sacred  music,  cousin?  "  he  asked. 
"  It  strikes  me  'twould  be  a  fitting  winding-up 
of  our  services." 

"  So  I  think,"  said  the  captain;  and  Violet 
at  once  took  her  place  at  the  instrument. 

"  Mamma,"  said  Grace,  "  let  us  have  '  Master, 
the  Tempest  is  Raging.'  We  can  all  sing  it, 
and  it  is  so  sweet." 

"  Yes,"  said  Violet. 

The  others  gathered  around  her,  and  together 
they  sang: 

••  •  Master,  the  tempest  is  raging! 

The  billows  are  tossing  high! 
The  sky  is  o'ershadowed  with  blackness? 

No  shelter  or  help  is  nigh! 
Carest  thou  not  that  we  perish? 

How  canst  thou  lie  asleep, 
When  each  moment  so  madly  is  threatening 

A  grave  in  the  angry  deep? 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  291 

Chorus  : 

"  '  The  winds  and  the  waves  shall  obey  thy  will, 
Peace,  be  still!  i 

Whether  the  wrath  of  the  storm-tossed  sea. 
Or  demons,  or  man,  or  whatever  it  be, 
No  waters  can  swallow  the  ship  where  lies 
The  Master  of  ocean,  and  earth,  and  skies ; 
They  all  so  sweetly  obey  thy  will, 
Peace,  be  still!    Peace,  be  still! 
They  all  so  sweetly  obey  thy  will, 
Peace,  peace,  be  still  1 

•* '  Master,  with  anguish  of  spirit 

I  bow  in  my  grief  to-day; 
The  depths  of  my  sad  heart  are  troubled; 

Oh,  waken  and  save,  I  pray! 
Torrents  of  sin  and  of  anguish 

Sweep  o'er  my  sinking  soul; 
And  I  perish!  I  perish,  dear  Master, 

Oh,  hasten  and  take  control! 

Chorus: 
•' '  The  winds  and  the  waves  shall  obey  thy  will,  etc, 

"  '  Master,  the  terror  is  over, 

The  elements  sweetly  rest; 
Earth's  sun  in  the  calm  lake  is  mirrored, 

And  heaven's  within  my  breast; 
Linger,  O  blessed  Redeemer! 

Leave  me  alone  no  more; 
And  with  joy  I  shall  make  the  blest  harbor, 

And  rest  on  the  blissful  shore. 

Chorus  : 

**  *  The  winds  and  the  waves  shall  obey  thy  win,*"  etc. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  Dolphin's  passengers  retired  early  to 
their  staterooms  on  that  stormy  Sunday  night; 
that  is,  all  of  them  except  the  captain  and  Lu- 
cilla.  He  was  on  the  deck,  and  she  sat  in  the 
saloon,  reading  and  waiting  for  a  little  chat 
with  her  father  before  seeking  her  berth  for 
the  night.  Presently  she  heard  his  approach- 
ing footsteps,  and,  closing  her  book,  looked  up 
at  him  with  a  glad  smile. 

"  Ah,  daughter,  so  you  are  here  waiting  for 
me  as  usual,"  he  said  in  his  kind,  fatherly 
tones;  and,  taking  a  large  easy-chair  close  at 
hand,  he  drew  her  to  a  seat  upon  his  knee. 
"You  haven't  sat  here  for  quite  a  while,"  he 
said,  passing  his  arm  about  her  and  pressing  his 
lips  to  her  cheek. 

"  No,  sir;  and  I  am  very  glad  to  be  allowed  to 
do  it  again,  big  and  old  as  I  am,"  she  returned 
with  a  smile  that  was  full  of  love  and  pleasure. 
"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad — so  glad  every  day  that  God 

892 


1  SLSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  293 

> 

gave  me  to  you  instead  of  to  somebody  else.  I 
thank  him  for  it  very  often." 

"  As  I  do/'  he  said;  "  for  I  consider  my  dear 
eldest  daughter  one  of  God's  good  gifts  to  me.'* 

"Whenever  I  hear  you  say  that,  father,  I 
feel  ashamed  of  all  my  faults  and  follies  and 
want — oh,  so  much — to  grow  wiser  and  better." 

"I  too  need  to  grow  better  and  wiser,"  he 
said;  "  and  we  must  both  ask  daily  and  hourly 
to  be  washed  from  our  sins  in  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ — that  fountain  opened  for  sin 
and  for  uncleanness. 

"  •  There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood, 

Drawn  from  Immanuel's  veins; 
And  sinners,  plunged  beneath  that  flood, 
Lose  all  their  guilty  stains.' " 

"Papa,  I  love  that  hymn,  and  am  thankful 
to  Cowper  for  writing  it,"  she  said. 

"And  so  am  I,"  he  returned.  "Oh,  what 
gratitude  we  owe  for  the  opening  of  that  foun- 
tain! for  the  love  of  Christ  that  led  him  to  die 
that  painful  and  shameful  death  of  the  cross — 
that  we  might  live.  '  The  love  of  Christ  which 
passeth  knowledge."' 

They  were  silent  for  a  little;  then  he  said, 


294  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  It  is  growing  late,  daughter;  it  is  quite  time 
time  that  this  one  of  my  birdlings  was  in  her 
nest.  Give  me  my  good-night  kiss  and  go." 

"  Can  I  go  to  you  on  the  deck  in  the  morn* 
ing,  papa?  "  she  asked  as  she  prepared  to  obey. 

"  That  depends  upon  the  weather,"  he  an- 
swered. "  If  it  is  neither  raining  nor  blowing 
hard,  you  may;  otherwise,  you  may  not." 

"Yes,  sir;  I'll  be  careful  to  obey,"  she  said 
with  a  loving  smile  up  into  his  face. 

All  seemed  quiet  within  and  without  when 
she  awoke  in  the  morning,  and  dressing 
speedily  she  stole  out  through  the  cabin,  and 
up  the  stairway,  till  she  could  look  out  upon  the 
deck.  Her  father  was  there,  caught  sight  of 
her  at  once,  and  drew  quickly  near. 

"  Good-morning,  daughter,"  he  said;  "  you 
may  come  out  here,  for  it  is  not  raining  just 
now,  and  the  wind  has  fallen." 

"  Is  the  storm  over,  father,  do  you  think?  " 
she  asked,  hastening  to  his  side. 

"  The  worst  of  it  certainly  is,  and  I  think  it 
will  probably  clear  before  night." 

"  So  that  we  can  start  on  our  homeward 
journey?  " 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  295 

"  Yes,"  he  answered;  "  but  it  will  not  be  well 
to  leave  this  safe  harbor  until  we  are  quite  cer- 
tain of  at  least  tolerably  good  weather." 

"  No,  none  of  us  would  want  to  run  any  risk 
of  shipwreck,"  she  said;  "  and  there  isn't  really 
anything  to  hurry  us  greatly  about  getting  back 
to  our  homes." 

"  Nothing  except  the  desire  to  see  them  and 
our  dear  ones  there,"  he  said;  "  and  to  delay 
that  will  be  wiser  than  running  any  risk 
to  bring  it  about  sooner." 

As  he  spoke  he  drew  her  hand  within  his 
arm,  and  they  paced  the  deck  to  and  fro  for 
some  time;  then  it  began  to  rain  again,  and  he 
bade  her  go  below. 

"  Still  raining,  I  believe,"  remarked  Mr.  Lil- 
burn  as  they  sat  at  the  breakfast  table. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  captain;  "  but  I  think  it 
will  probably  clear  by  noon." 

"  And  then  we  will  start  on  our  return  jour- 
ney, I  suppose?  "  said  Walter. 

"Yes,"  said  the  captain,  "that  seems  best, 
and  I  believe  is  according  to  the  desire  of  all  my 
passengers.  It  is  your  wish,  mother,  is  it  not?  " 
turning  to  Grandma  Elsie. 


296  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"I  should  like  to  get  home  soon  now,"  she 
replied;  "  but  shall  not  fret  if  we  are  still  provi- 
dentially detained." 

The  rain  had  ceased  by  the  time  they  left 
the  table,  so  that  they  were  able  to  go  on  deck, 
take  some  exercise,  and  get  a  view  of  their 
surroundings. 

By  noon  the  indications  were  such  that  the 
captain  considered  it  entirely  safe  to  continue 
their  journey.  So  steam  was  gotten  up,  and 
they  were  presently  out  of  the  harbor  and  mak- 
ing their  way  across  the  lake  in  the  direction  of 
the  Welland  Canal.  Before  sunset  all  the 
clouds  had  cleared  away;  the  evening  was  beau- 
tiful, and  so  were  the  days  that  followed  while 
they  passed  down  the  St.  Lawrence  Eiver  and 
out  through  the  Gulf,  then  along  the  Atlantic 
coast,  stopping  only  once,  to  let  Walter  leave 
them  for  Princeton. 

It  was  quite  a  long  voyage,  and  a  very  pleas- 
ant one;  but  everyone  was  glad  when  at  length 
they  reached  the  harbor  of  the  city  near  their 
homes.  They  were  expected,  and  found 
friends  and  carriages  awaiting  their  coming. 

Mr.  Hugh  Lilburn  had  come  for  his  father 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  297 

and  Annis,  Edward  Travilla  for  his  mother  and 
Evelyn,  and  the  Woodburn  carriage  was  there 
to  take  the  captain  and  his  family  to  their 
home. 

"  It  is  delightful  to  have  you  at  home  again, 
mother,"  Edward  said  as  they  drove  off;  "we 
have  all  been  looking  forward  to  your  coming 
— from  grandpa  down  to  the  babies  that  can 
hardly  lisp  your  name." 

"  It  is  most  pleasant  to  be  so  loved,"  she  said 
with  a  joyful  smile,  "  especially  by  those  who 
are  so  dear  as  my  father,  children,  and  grand- 
children are  to  me.  Are  all  well  at  Fair- 
view?" 

"  Yes,  and  looking  forward,  not  to  your  re- 
turn only,  but  to  Evelyn's  also.  Lester  was 
very  busy,  so  asked  me  to  bring  her  home  to 
them;  which  I  was  very  ready  to  do." 

"And  for  which  I  feel  very  much  obliged," 
said  Evelyn.  "I  shall  be  very  glad  to  get 
home,  though  I  have  had  a  delightful  time 
while  away." 

They  soon  reached  Fail-view,  and  her  wel- 
come there  was  all  she  could  desire.  Grandma 
Elsie  was  warmly  welcomed  too,  but  did  not 


298  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

alight.  She  felt  in  much  too  great  haste  to  see 
her  father  and  the  others  at  Ion. 

On  her  arrival  she  found  her  daughter  Eosie 
there  also,  and  her  presence  added  to  the  joy 
of  the  occasion. 

Dinner  was  ready  to  be  served,  and  Harold 
and  Herbert  had  just  come  in  from  their  pro- 
fessional rounds,  so  that  the  family  reunion 
was  almost  complete.  They  missed  Walter,  but 
were  glad  to  think  of  him  as  well,  happy,  and 
busied  with  his  studies;  and  Elsie  and  Violet, 
though  not  just  there,  were  near  enough  to  be 
seen  and  conversed  with  almost  any  day.  So  it 
was  altogether  a  cheerful  and  happy  reunion,  as 
was  that  of  the  family  at  Fairview. 

Woodburn  held  no  welcoming  relatives  for 
the  Eaymonds,  but  theirs  was  a  glad  home- 
coming, nevertheless.  The  grounds  were  in 
beautiful  order,  as  was  the  dwelling  under 
Christine's  skilful  management;  and  the  dinner 
that  awaited  the  returned  travellers  was  abun- 
dant in  quantity  and  variety,  and  the  cooking 
such  as  might  have  found  favor  with  an  epicure. 

"  I  think  we  are  most  fortunate  people,"  said 
Violet  as  they  sat  at  the  table.  "I  know  it 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  299 

isn't  every  family  that  can  came  home  after 
weeks  of  absence  to  find  everything  in  beauti- 
ful order  and  the  table  furnished  with  luxuries 
as  is  this  one." 

"  Very  true,  my  dear/'  said  the  captain;  "  we 
certainly  have  a  great  deal  to  be  thankful  for." 

"  Yes,  papa,  it  is  very  pleasant  to  be  at  home 
again,"  said  Elsie;  "and  when  dinner  is  over 
mayn't  we  go  all  around  and  look  at  every 
one  of  the  rooms,  upstairs  and  down?  " 

"If  you  want  to  make  the  circuit  of  the 
house,  I  have  no  objection,"  he  said. 

"Yes,  I  do,  papa,"  she  answered.  "I  feel 
very  much  as  if  the  rooms  are  old  friends  that 
I'm  quite  fond  of." 

"  The  schoolroom  as  well  as  the  rest?  "  he 
asked  with  a  look  of  amusement. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  papa,  for  you  make  lessons  so 
pleasant  that  I'd  be  very,  very  sorry  to  be  shut 
out  of  that  room.  Wouldn't  you,  Neddie?  " 

"  Course  I  would,"  exclaimed  Ned.  "  I  love 
to  be  with  papa,  and  I  like  the  nice  leasons. 
Papa  often  tells  us  a  great  deal  that  is  very 
interesting." 

"I  am  glad  you  think  so,"  said  his  father. 


300  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  We  will,  visit  the  schoolroom,  as  well  as  the 
others,  after  we  have  finished  our  dinners." 

"Will  we  have  school  to-morrow,  papa?" 
asked  Elsie. 

"  No;  you  may  have  the  rest  of  the  week  for 
play,  and  we  will  begin  lessons  on  Monday  if 
nothing  happens  to  prevent." 

"We  will  take  up  our  studies  again,  papa, 
just  as  the  little  ones  do,  will  we  not?  "  asked 
Lucilla. 

"  Meaning  Grace  and  yourself,  I  suppose?  " 
he  said  inquiringly,  and  with  a  look  of  amuse- 
ment 

"Yes,  sir;  except  Evelyn,  we  are  your  only 
other  pupils  just  now." 

"You  can  both  begin  when  the  younger 
ones  do,  if  you  like,"  he  replied;  and  Grace 
said,  "You  may  be  quite  sure  we  will  like  to 
do  so,  papa." 

"Papa,  when  will  Brother  Max  come  home?  " 
asked  Ned. 

"  I  think  we  may  expect  him  about  the  last 
of  next  January,"  was  the  reply. 

"And  how  soon  does  January  come, 
papa?  " 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  301 

"  This  is  October:  November  comes  next, 
then  December,  and  next  after  that  is  January." 

"  Oh,  such  a  long  while!  "  sighed  Ned.  "  I 
want  to  see  Max  so  badly  that  I  don't  know  how- 
to  wait." 

"  Pretty  much  the  way  papa  feels  about  it," 
returned  his  father. 

"And  as  we  all  do,"  said  Violet.  "I  wish 
the  dear  fellow  had  chosen  work  that  could  be 
done  at  home." 

"But  somebody  must  go  into  the  navy,  my 
dear,"  said  his  father.  "  A  good  navy  is  very 
necessary  for  the  safety  of  the  country." 

"  That  is  true,"  she  returned;  "  and  I  know 
of  no  more  honorable  employment." 

"And  employment  of  some  kind  we  all 
should  have.  I  know  of  nothing  more  ignoble 
than  a  life  of  idleness.  It  is  sure  to  tempt  to 
something  worse.  '  Satan  finds  some  mischief 
still  for  idle  hands  to  do.' " 

"  Yes,"  said  Violet,  "  and  the  Bible  bids  us 
to  be  '  diligent  in  business,  fervent  in  spirit, 
serving  the  Lord.' " 

"And  in  the  fourth  commandment  we  are 
bidden,  '  Six  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all 


502  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

thy  work.'  It  makes  no  exception;  recognizes 
no  privileged  class  who  may  take  their  ease  in 
idleness." 

"  Yet  there  are  times  when  one  is  really 
weary,  that  rest  is  right,  are  there  not?"  said 
Violet.  "I  remember  that  at  one  time  Jesus 
said  to  his  disciples,  *  Come  ye  yourselves  apart 
into  a  desert  place,  and  rest  a  while.' '; 

"Yes;  there  are  times  when  rest  is  very 
necessary,  and  by  taking  it  one  is  enabled  to  do 
more  in  the  end." 

"And  we  have  just  had  a  nice  long  rest,'5 
said  Grace;  "  so  ought  to  be  able  to  go  to  work 
earnestly  and  make  good  progress  in  our 
studies." 

"  So  I  think,"  said  Lucilla;  then  added  laugh- 
ingly, "and  I'm  glad  father  doesn't  turn  me 
out  of  the  schoolroom  because  I've  grown  so  big 
and  old." 

"You  are  still  small  enough,  and  young 
enough,  to  demean  yourself  as  one  under  au- 
thority," remarked  the  captain  in  pleasant 
tones;  "  otherwise  you  would  not  be  admitted 
to  the  schoolroom  among  my  younger  pupils." 

Just  then  a  rather  discordant  voice  was  heard 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  303 

calling,  "Lu,  Lu,  what  you  'bout?  Polly 
wants  a  cracker." 

"You  shall  have  one  presently,  Polly,"  Lu- 
cilla  answered. 

"  Oh,  let's  all  go  up  there  and  see  her,"  said 
Ned  as  they  rose  and  left  the  table. 

"  Yes,  we  may  as  well  begin  there  to  make 
our  circuit  of  the  house,"  said  his  father;  and 
they  all  hastened  up  the  stairway  to  the  apart- 
ments of  Lucilla  and  Grace. 

"  I  think  Polly  is  glad  to  see  us,"  said  Elsie, 
as  they  stood  for  a  moment  watching  her  while 
she  ate. 

"A  good  deal  more  pleased  to  see  and  taste 
the  cracker,"  said  her  father.  "  I  doubt  if  par- 
rots ever  have  much  affection  to  bestow  on  any- 
one." 

"Well,  Polly,"  said  Lulu,  "nobody  cares 
particularly  for  your  affection;  but  in  spite  of 
your  coldness  and  indifference,  you  shall  have 
plenty  to  eat." 

"  Your  rooms  are  in  good  order,  daughters," 
said  the  captain,  glancing  about  them.  "I 
think  Christine  is  an  excellent  housekeeper." 

"  So  do  I,  father,"  said  Lucilla.     "  We  have 


304  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

only  to  unpack  our  trunks  and  put  their  con- 
tents in  their  proper  places,  and  all  will  be  as 
neat  and  orderly  as  before  we  left  home/* 

"Yes,  but  we  are  going  to  visit  the  other 
parts  of  the  house  first,"  said  Grace;  "  or  we'll 
have  to  do  it  alone,  which  wouldn't  be  half  so 
much  fun  as  going  along  with  papa  and  the 
rest." 

They  finished  their  inspection  quickly,  then 
set  to  work  at  their  unpacking  and  arranging, 
laughing  and  chatting  merrily  as  they  worked. 

Violet,  in  her  rooms,  with  Elsie  and  Ned  to 
help  or  hinder,  was  busied  in  much  the  same 
manner.  The  captain  was  in  the  library  exam- 
ining letters  and  periodicals  which  had  accumu- 
lated during  his  absence,  when  he  was 
interrupted  by  the  announcement  that  Mr. 
Dinsmore  had  called  to  see  him. 

"  Mr.  Dinsmore?  "  he  said  inquiringly. 

"Yes,  sah;  Mr.  Chester.  Here  am  his 
kyard." 

"  Ah,  yes;  just  show  him  in  here." 

The  two  greeted  each  other  cordially,  and 
Chester  was  invited  to  take  a  seat,  which  he 
did. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  305 

"I  am  making  you  an  early  call,  captain," 
lie  said.  "I  knew  you  were  expected  to-day, 
and  heard,  perhaps  an  hour  ago,  that  you  had 
actually  arrived.  I  have,  as  you  requested, 
kept  a  lookout  for  that  escaped  convict  who 
threatened  your  daughter  at  the  time  of  his 
trial.  He  has  not  yet  been  caught,  but  as  I 
cannot  learn  that  he  has  been  seen  anywhere 
in  this  neighborhood,  I  hope  he  has  given  up 
the  idea  of  wreaking  vengeance  upon  her." 

"  I  hope  so,  indeed,"  returned  her  father; 
"  but  I  shall  be  very  careful  never  to  let  her  go 
from  home  unattended." 

"  I  am.  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  sir,"  said 
Chester;  "and  I  shall  be  very  happy  if  I  may 
sometimes  be  permitted  to  act  as  her  escort. 
You  may  not  always  find  it  entirely  convenient 
to  undertake  the  duty  yourself." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  offer;  I  may  sometimes 
be  glad  to  avail  myself  of  it,"  was  the  reply. 

They  chatted  a  while  longer,  then  Chester 
rose  as  if  to  take  his  leave. 

"  Don't  go  yet,"  said  the  captain.  "  My  wife 
and  daughters  will  join  us  presently,  and  feel 
glad  to  see  you.  Stay  and  take  tea  with  us, 


306  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  ^ 

and  give  us  all  the  news  about  the  family  at  The 
Oaks." 

"Thank  you,"  returned  Chester,  sitting 
down  again.  "  We  are  all  quite  well,  Syd  busy 
with  her  preparations  for  going  South  to  join 
Maud  and  Dick." 

"  Ah!  she  leaves  soon?  " 

"I  think  before  very  long;  but  the  exact 
time  is  not  set  yet." 

"  You  will  feel  lonely — robbed  of  both  your 
sisters." 

"Yes,  sir,"  Chester  returned  with  a  slight 
smile.  "  I  should  greatly  prize  a  sweet  young 
wife,  who  would  much  more  than  fill  their 
places." 

"  Ah,  yes;  but  this  is  ane  of  the  cases  where 
it  is  best  to  make  haste  slowly,  my  young 
friend,"  the  captain  returned  in  a  pleasant  tone. 

"  I  am  feeling  a  little  uneasy  lest  Percy  Lan- 
dreth  or  someone  else  may  have  got  ahead  of 
me,"  Chester  said  inquiringly,  and  with  an  anx- 
ious look. 

"  No;  her  father  wouldn't  allow  any  such  at- 
tempt, and  it  is  quite  sure  that  his  daughter  is 
etill  heart-whole.  And  as  I  have  told  you  be- 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUBSOK.  30» 

fere,  if  either  suit  is  to  prosper,  I  should  rathe? 
it  should  be  yours — as  in  that  ease  she  would 
not  be  taken  far  away  from  me." 

"  That  is  some  consolation,  and  she  is  well 
worth  waiting  for,"  said  Chester  in  a  tone  of 
resignation. 

"  So  her  father  thinks,"  said  the  captain. 

Just  then  there  was  a  sound  of  wheels  on  the 
drive. 

"  The  Eoselands  carriage,"  said  Chester, 
glancing  from  the  window;  and  both  he  and  the 
captain  rose  and  hurried  out. 

They  found  the  whole  Eoselands  family 
there — Calhoun  and  his  wife  and  children; 
Dr.  Arthur,  his  Marian,  and  their  little  Eonald. 

Violet  and  her  children,  with  Lucilla  and 
Grace,  had  hastened  down  to  receive  them,  and 
warm  greetings  were  exchanged  all  around. 

Chester  took  particular  pains,  to  get  posses- 
sion of  a  seat  near  Lucilla,  and  had  many  ques- 
tions to  ask  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which 
she  had  spent  the  long  weeks  of  her  absence 
from  home — for  long,  he  averred,  they  had 
seemed  to  him. 

"  Well  now,  they  didn't  to  me,"  laughed  Lu- 


308  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

cilia;  "on  the  contrary,  I  thought  them  very 
short;  time  fairly  flew." 

"And  was  so  filled  with  interesting  occur- 
rences that  you  hardly  thought  of  your  absent 
friends?  " 

"  Oh,  yes;  I  did  think  of  them,  occasionally 
even  of  you,  Chester,"  she  said  in  sportive  tone. 
"  Eeally,  I  do  wish  you  could  have  seen  and  en- 
joyed all  that  we  did.  Were  you  moping  at 
home  all  the  time?" 

"  Not  all  the  time;  much  of  it  found  me  very 
busy;  and  for  a  fortnight  I  was  away  on  a  boat- 
ing excursion  with  some  friends." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  I  am  sure  you  needed 
some  rest.  Sometimes  I  think  you  are  too 
hard  a  worker.  Don't  forget  the  old  saying 
that '  All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull 
boy.' " 

But  there  the  talk  was  interrupted  by  an- 
other arrival — the  carriage  from  The  Oaks, 
bringing  all  that  family,  including  Chester's 
sister  Sydney.  They  were  on  their  way  to 
Ion  to  welcome  Grandma  Elsie  home,  so  made 
but  a  short  call. 

Tie  Eoselands  people  were  urged  to  stay  to 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  309 

tea,  "but  declined,  and  presently  took  their  leave. 
But  they  had  scarcely  gone,  when  Violet's 
brothers  Harold  and  Herbert  came,  and  they 
stayed  to  tea.  They  were  bright  and  genial  as 
usual;  Chester,  too,  was  gay  and  lively;  and  ao 
altogether  they  constituted  a  blithe  and  merry 
party. 

The  evening  brought  the  families  from  Ash- 
lands,  Pinegrove,  and  The  Laurels,  and  the 
next  day  those  from  Fairview,  Beechwood,  and 
Riverside.  Eosie  expressed  herself  as  charmed 
with  her  new  home,  and  insisted  upon  having 
them  all  there  to  tea  with  her  mother  and  old 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsmore.  The  other  relatives 
she  had  already  entertained,  she  said;  and  she 
•was  planning  to  have  all  at  once  at  no  very  dis- 
tant day. 

"  Surely  we  can  wait  for  that,  Eosie,"  said 
the  captain,  "  and  content  ourselves  with  a  call 
upon  you  and  a  sight  of  your  pretty  home, 
leaving  the  greater  visit  to  the  time  you 
speak  of." 

"  No,  Brother  Levis,  I  won't  be  satisfied  with 
that,"  she  said.  "I  want  you  all  to  take  tea 
with  us  to-morrow  evening." 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"Are  you  not  willing  that  we  should, 
lather?  "  asked  Lucilla. 

"  Yes,  if  you  wish  to  do  so,"  he  replied;  and 
AS  all  expressed  themselves  desirous  to  ac- 
cept the  invitation,  they  did  so;  and  they 
were  so  well  and  hospitably  entertained  that 
everyone  was  delighted.  They  returned  home 
rather  early  in  the  evening,  on  account  of  the 
little  ones.  Violet  took  them  upstairs  at  once, 
and  Grace  went  to  her  room,  so  that  Lucilla  and 
her  father  were  left  alone  together,  as  so  often 
happened  early  in  the  evening.  She  followed 
iiim  into  the  library,  asking,  "  Haven't  you  some 
letters  to  be  answered,  father?  and  shall  I  not 
•write  them  for  you  on  the  typewriter?  " 

"  I  fear  you  are  too  tired,  daughter,  and  had 
better  be  getting  ready  for  bed,"  he  answered, 
giving  her  a  searching  but  affectionate  look. 

"  Oh,  no,  sir,"  she  said;  "  I  am  neither  tired 
nor  sleepy;  and  if  I  can  be  of  any  use  to  my 
dear,  kind  father,  nothing  would  please  me 
better." 

He  smiled  at  that,  lifted  the  cover  from  the 
machine,  and  they  worked  busily  together  for 
the  next  half-hour  or  more.  When  they  had 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  311 

finished,  "Thank  you,  daughter,"  he  said; 
"  you  are  such  a  help  and  comfort  to  me  that 
I  hardly  know  what  I  should  ever  do  without 
you." 

"  Oh,  you  are  so  kind  to  say  that,  you 
dear  father,"  she  returned,  her  eyes  shining 
with  joy  and  filial  love.  "  I  often  say  to  my- 
self, '  How  could  I  ever  live  without  my  dear 
father? '  and  then  I  ask  God  to  let  you  live  as 
long  as  I  do.  And  I  hope  he  will." 

"  He  will  do  what  is  best  for  us,  daughter," 
returned  the  captain  in  moved  tones;  "and  if 
we  must  part  in  this  world,  we  may  hope  to 
meet  in  that  better  land  where  death  and  part- 
ings are  unknown." 

"  Yes,  papa,  the  thought  of  that  must  be  the 
greatest  comfort  when  death  robs  us  of  our 
dear  ones." 

He  took  her  hand,  led  her  to  a  sofa,  and, 
seating  her  by  his  side,  put  his  arm  about  her, 
drawing  her  close  to  him.  "  I  have  something 
to  say  to  you,  daughter,"  he  said  in  low,  ten- 
der tones. 

She  gave  him  a  rather  startled,  inquiring 
look,  asking,  "About  what,  papa?" 


312  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  You  remember  the  bit  of  news — in  regard 
to  the  escape  of  a  convict — which  hastened  our 
departure  for  the  North  some  months  ago?  " 

"  Yes,  sir;  and  has  he  not  been  caught  and 
returned  to  his  prison?" 

"  No;  and  I  have  reason  to  think  he  is  some- 
where in  this  neighborhood,  probably  bent  on 
evil  deeds,  perhaps  among  them  some  harm,  to 
my  daughter,  whose  testimony  helped  to  send 
him  to  prison  for  the  burglary  committed  here. 
I  tell  you  this,  my  child,  as  a  warning  to  you  to 
be  very  careful  how  you  expose  yourself  to  pos- 
sible danger  from  him." 

"  Yes,  papa,  I  will;  but  you  know  I  never  go 
outside  the  grounds  without  a  protector,  be- 
cause you  long  ago  forbade  my  doing  so." 

"  Yes;  but  now  you  must  not  go  everywhere 
even  inside  of  them;  avoid  the  wood,  and  keep 
near  the  house  unless  I  am  with  you." 

"  Yes,  sir;  I  .will  obey.  But,  father,  he  may 
come  into  the  house  in  the  night.  You  know 
he  did  before." 

"Yes,  I  remember;  and  I  have  arranged  to 
have  watchmen — armed  men — patrolling  the 
grounds  near  at  hand;  so  that  if  he  makes  such 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  313 

an  attempt  it  will  be  at  the  risk  of  his  life.  It 
is  wise  and  right  for  us  to  take  all  possible  pre- 
cautions, then  trust  calmly  and  securely  in  the 
protecting  care  of  our  Heavenly  Father.  Try 
to  do  so,  dear  child,  and  do  not  lie  awake  in 
fear  and  trembling." 

"I  will  not,  if  I  can  help  it,  father,"  she 
said. 

"  I  will  remember  the  sweet  words  of  the 
Psalmist,  '  The  salvation  of  the  righteous  is  of 
the  Lord;  he  is  their  strength  in  the  time  of 
trouble.  And  the  Lord  shall  help  them  and 
deliver  them:  he  shall  deliver  them  from  the 
wicked,  and  save  them,  because  they  trust  in 
him.' " 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  trust  in  the  Lord  and  he 
will  deliver  you.  '  According*  to  your  faith  be 
it  unto  you/  Have  confidence  in  your  earthly 
father  too.  We  will  have  the  doors  open  be- 
tween our  rooms,  and  if  anything  alarms  you 
in  the  night  run  right  to  your  father  for  protec- 
tion and  help." 

"  I  will,  dear  papa,"  she  said;  "  and,  oh,  with 
a  kind,  all-wise  and  all-mighty  Heavenly 
Father,  and  so  dear  and  wise  an  earthly  one,  I 


814  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

can  lie  down  in  peace  and  sleep  as  sweetly  as 
ever  I  did." 

"I  hope  so,  dear  child.  And  I  think  I 
hardly  need  caution  you  to  keep  all  this  from 
our  timid,  nervous  Grace;  and  the  younger 
ones  also." 

"  They  shall  not  learn  it  from  me,  papa,"  she 
said;  "  I  will  do  what  I  can  to  keep  them  all  in 
ignorance  of  the  danger  that  seems  to  threaten." 

She  kept  her  word,  and  a  week  slipped  hy 
without  any  further  evidence  of  the  near 
vicinity  of  the  convict. 


CHAPTER  XVL 

LUCILLA  and  Grace  rode  out  every  day  on 
their  ponies,  always  accompanied  by  their 
father,  sometimes  by  Violet  also,  though 
the  latter  generally  preferred  a  drive  in  the 
carriage,  taking  her  children  with  her.  And 
Lueilla,  being  stronger  than  Grace,  would,  if 
she  had  occasion,  go  a  second  time  when  it 
suited  her  father  to  go  with  her.  Chester  Dins- 
more  came  often  to  the  house,  and  sometimes 
joined  them  in  their  rides;  for  he  was  keeping 
a  vigilant  watch  for  traces  of  the  escaped  con- 
vict who  was  known  to  cherish  so  great  an 
enmity  to  Lueilla. 

Chester  made  no  lover-like  advances  to  the 
girl  he  so  coveted,  because  so  far  he  had  been 
unable  to  win  her  father's  consent,  but  he  was 
glad  to  seize  every  opportunity  to  be  with  her 
and  do  his  best  to  make  himself  necessary  to 
her  happiness.  So  far  she  seemed  to  look  upon 
him  as  a  pleasant  friend,  but  nothing  more;  yet 

315 


316  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

he  was  not  altogether  discouraged.  He  thought 
her  worth  long  and  patiently  waiting  for  and 
much  effort  to  win. 

One  afternoon  of  a  beautiful  October  day 
the  captain  remarked  that  he  had  an  errand  to 
the  town,  and  asked  who  would  like  to  go  with 
him. 

"  I  should  like  it,"  said  Violet,  "  but  cannot 
very  well,  as  I  am  to  have  a  dress  fitted." 

"And  you,  Grace,  had  so  long  a  ride  this 
morning  that  you  are  too  tired  for  another,  I 
presume?  "  her  father  said  inquiringly. 

"Yes,  papa,"  she  said;  "though  I  love  to 
ride  with  you  for  my  escort,  I  believe  I  am  too 
tired  for  anything  but  a  rest  and  nap  this  after- 
noon." 

"  So,  father,  I'm  afraid  you  can  not  secure 
any  better  company  than  mine,"  remarked  Lu- 
cilla  with  an  amused  little  laugh. 

"  So  it  seems,"  he  said.  "  Well,  since  I  can 
do  no  better,  I  will  accept  yours  if  it  be  offered 
me." 

"  It  is,  then,  sir;  and  I  promise  to  be  ready  at 
any  hour  you  appoint." 

"We  will  start  early,  shortly  after  leaving 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  317 

the  table,  that  we  may  get  home  before  dark/' 
he  said,  with  a  look  and  smile  that  seemed  to 
say  her  company  would  be  very  acceptable. 

The  roads  were  good,  the  horses  fresh  and 
lively;  and  they  had  a  delightful  ride  going  to 
Union,  and  also  returning — until  near  home. 

Chester  had  joined  them,  and  the  captain, 
seeing  something  in  a  field  belonging  to  his 
estate  that  he  wanted  to  examine,  told  the 
others  to  ride  on  and  he  would  follow  very 
shortly. 

They  did  as  he  requested,  but  had  not  gone 
more  than  a  hundred  yards  when  a  man 
suddenly  rose  from  behind  a  bush,  pistol  in 
hand,  and  fired,  taking  aim  at  Lucilla.  But 
Chester  had  seized  her  bridle  at  the  instant  of 
the  rising  of  the  figure,  and  backed  both  her 
horse  and  his  just  in  time  to  escape  the  shot 
which  whizzed  past  them  over  the  horses'  heads. 
Chester  instantly  snatched  a  pistol  from  his 
pocket,  took  aim  at  the  miscreant,  and  fired  at 
the  same  instant  that  the  scoundrel  sent  a 
iecond  shot  in  their  direction.  Then  the 
wounded  murderer  dropped  and  lay  still  as 
death,  while  Chester  dismounted,  reeled,  and 


318  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

fell  by  the  roadside — dead,  as  Lucilla  thought 
in  wild  distresa  She  dismounted  and  went  to 
him. 

"  Oh,  Chester,  Chester,  where  are  you  hurt?  " 
she  cried  in  sore  distress. 

He  seemed  to  be  unconscious,  and  she  did 
not  know  whether  he  was  dead  or  alive.  But 
the  next  moment  her  father  was  beside  her  with 
two  or  three  of  the  men  employed  on  the 
estate. 

"  Oh,  papa,  he  has  died  for  me! "  she  cried, 
hot  tears  streaming  down  her  face. 

"No,  he  is  not  dead,  daughter,"  her  father 
said  in  tender  tones.  "  But  we  will  never  for- 
get the  service  he  has  done  us  this  day." 

"JSTo,  sah,  Mars  Chess  's  alive,  sho  'nuff," 
said  one  of  the  men;  "an'  we'll  git  Doctah 
Arthur  or  Doctah  Harold  or  Herbert  here,  and 
dey'll  cure  him  up,  sho's  a  gun." 

"Yes;  go  after  one  of  them  as  fast  as  you 
can.  Catch  Mr.  Chester's  horse  and  ride  him; 
then  take  him  to  The  Oaks  and  leave  him  there. 
Mr.  Chester  must  be  carried  carefully  into 
Woodburn  and  nursed  there — as  long  as  he 
needs  it.  Well,  is  that  fellow  living  or  dead?  " 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  319 

He  asked  of  one  of  the  men  who  had  climbed 
the  fence  and  was  stooping  over  the  prostrate 
form  of  the  convict. 

"  Dead,  cap'ain;  dead  as  anything.  He  won' 
do  no  mo'  mischief  in  dis  worl'." 

"Poor  wretch!"  sighed  the  captain.  Then 
he  gave  directions  to  the  men  to  go  to  the 
house  and  bring  from  there  a  cot-bed  on  which 
they  could  cany  the  wounded  man  without  in- 
creasing his  suffering  by  unnecessary  jolts  and 
jars. 

All  this  time  Lucilla  was  standing  by  her 
father's  side,  trembling  and  weeping. 

"  Oh,  papa,  I'm  afraid  he  has  given  his  life 
for  mine,"  she  sobbed. 

"  I  hope  not,  dear  child,"  he  said;  "  he  is  liv- 
ing, and  I  hope  his  wound  will  not  prove  mor- 
tal. In  saving  my  daughter's  life  he  has  done 
me  a  service  that  I  can  never  repay,  and  I 
hope  it  is  not  to  cost  him  his  own  life." 

At  that  moment  Chester's  eyes  opened,  and 
Lucilla  never  forgot  the  look  of  joy  and  love 
that  he  gave  her. 

"  Thank  God,  you  are  alive  and  unhurt,"  he 
said,  in  a  low  tone  and  gasping  for  breath. 


320  ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON. 

"But,  oh,  Chester,  you  are  so  terribly  in- 
jured," she  sobbed.  "  I  am  afraid  you  are  suf- 
fering very  much." 

"  Don't  weep.    I  can  bear  it,"  he  said. 

"  My  dear  fellow,  don't  try  to  talk  any  more 
now,"  said  the  captain.  "  I  have  sent  for  one 
or  more  of  our  doctors,  and  here  come  my  men 
with  a  cot-bed  to  carry  you  to  Woodburn,  where 
you  must  stay  until  you  are  entirely  well." 

"You  are  most  kind,  captain,"  murmured 
the  half-fainting  young  man,  "  but " 

"  No,  no;  don't  try  to  talk.  I  can  never  re- 
pay you  for  saving  my  child,"  the  captain  said 
with  emotion. 

Chester's  only  reply  was  a  look  at  Lucilla 
that  seemed  to  say  that  nothing  could  be  too 
costly  if  done  for  her. 

"And,  oh,  what  a  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe 
you! "  she  exclaimed.  "  I  can  never  repay  it." 

"  Dearest,  I  would  give  my  life  for  yours  at 
any  time,"  he  responded. 

The  words  and  the  look  that  accompanied 
them  were  a  revelation  to  Lucilla.  The  look  of 
a  moment  before  had  surprised  her,  and  raised 
a  question  in  her  mind  as  to  just  what  she  was 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  321 

to  him;  but  there  was  no  mistaking  this.  He 
loved  her;  loved  her  well  enough  to  die  in  her 
stead. 

But  the  men  were  at  hand  with  the  cot,  and 
under  the  captain's  direction  the  wounded  man 
was  lifted  carefully  and  tenderly,  laid  upon  it, 
and  carried  to  the  house,  the  captain  on  his 
horse,  and  Lucilla  on  her  pony,  following 
closely. 

In  the  meantime  Violet  and  Christine  had 
made  ready  a  bed  in  the  room  occupied  by  Cap- 
tain Eaymond  at  the  time  of  his  injury  from 
being  thrown  by  Thunderer,  and  there  they 
laid  Chester,  just  as  Drs.  Arthur  Conly  and 
Harold  Travilla  arrived,  having  come  with  all 
possible  haste  at  the  summons  sent  by  the  cap- 
tain. 

Violet,  Lucilla,  and  Grace,  seated  on  the 
veranda,  anxiously  awaited  the  doctors'  verdict. 

It  was  Harold  who  brought  it  at  length. 

"  The  wound  is  a  serious  one,"  he  said  in 
reply  to  their  looks  of  earnest  inquiry;  "  but  we 
have  succeeded  in  removing  the  ball,  and  do 
not  by  any  means  despair  of  his  life." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  he  will  recover,"  sobbed  Lucilla; 


323  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  \ 

"  for  if  he  does  not,  I  shall  always  fed  that  he 
has  given  his  life  for  mine." 

"  But  it  was  through  no  fault  of  yours,  Lu; 
you  were  not  in  the  least  to  blame,"  said  Harold 
soothingly.  "  And  you  can  pray  for  his  re- 
covery; we  all  wilL  But  don't  worry  and  fret; 
for  that  will  only  make  you  unhappy  and  per- 
haps ill,  and  do  him  no  good." 

"  That  is  good  advice,  Harold,"  said  her 
father,  who  had  joined  them  just  in  time  to 
hear  it;  "worrying  about  what  may  happen 
only  unfits  us  for  present  duty,  and  makes  us 
less  able  to  meet  the  trouble  when  it  comes.1' 

"  That  scoundrel  is  dead?  "  Harold  said  half 
inquiringly. 

"Yes;  Chester's  shot,  fired  simultaneously 
with  his,  was  fatal.  He  dropped,  and,  I  think, 
died  almost  instantly.  Poor  wretch!  the  world 
is  well  rid  of  him;  but  what  has  become  of  his 
soul?" 

"  Oh,  I  don't  believe  Chester  meant  to  kill 
him  outright! "  exclaimed  Lucilla;  "  I  believe 
he  was  only  thinking  of  saving  my  life." 

"  And  to  kill  the  wretch  who  was  trying  to 
kill  you  seemed  to  be  the  only  way  of  doing 


ELSIE  ON  TEE  HUDSON.  523 

that,"  said  Harold.  "But  I  must  go,"  he 
added,  rising.  "  We  think  we  must  have  a  pro- 
fessional nurse  for  Chester.  I  happen  to  know 
of  one  who  has  just  finished  an  engagement, 
and  I  am  going  for  her  at  once,  if  you  do  not 
object  to  having  her  in  the  house,  Vi — you  or 
the  captain." 

Both  promptly  replied  that  they  would  be 
glad  to  have  her  there,  and  Harold  at  once  set 
out  upon  his  errand. 

For  some  days  Chester  lay  half  unconscious, 
and  apparently  hovering  upon  the  brink  of  the 
grave,  while  those  who  loved  him  watched  and 
waited  in  intense  anxiety.  Then  a  change 
came,  and  the  doctors  said  he  would  recover. 
Lucilla  heard  it  with  a  burst  of  weeping  that 
seemed  more  like  the  expression  of  despair  and 
sorrow  than  the  relief  and  joy  that  really  filled 
her  heart. 

It  was  her  father  who  told  her  the  glad  news, 
and  they  were  alone  together  in  the  library. 
He  drew  hex  into  his  arms  and  held  her 
close. 

"  It  is  altogether  glad  news,  dear  child,"  he 
said;  "  Chester  is  a  Christian  and  a  young  man 


824  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

of  talent  who  will  lead  a  useful  life,  I  think, 
and  it  would  have  been  a  bitter  sorrow  to  have 
had  him  fall  a  victim  to  that  worthless,  cowardl j 
convict/' 

"  And  in  my  defence,"  she  sobbed.  "  Oh, 
papa,  it  makes  my  heart  ache  to  think  how  he 
has  suffered  because  of  risking  his  life  in  the 
effort  to  save  mine." 

"  Yes;  I  am  very  grateful  to  him — so  grate- 
ful that  I  feel  I  can  refuse  him  nothing  that 
he  may  ask  of  me — even  though  it  should  be  the 
the  hand  of  my  dear  eldest  daughter." 

She  gave  him  a  look  of  surprise,  while  her 
cheek  grew  hot  with  blushes. 

"  You  know  that  he  wants  it — that  he  lovea 
you.  He  made  it  very  plain  as  we  stood  by 
him  in  the  road  soon  after  he  fell." 

"  Yes,  sir;  and  I  have  thought  of  it  very  often 
since.  It  surprised  me  very  much,  for  I  had 
never  thought  of  him  as  a  lover." 

"  And  how  is  it  now?  "  asked  her  father,  as 
she  paused;  "do  you  care  for  him  at  all?  can 
you  give  him  any  return  of  affection?  " 

"Papa,"  she  said,  hiding  her  blushing  face 
on  his  shoulder,  and  speaking  in  so  low  a  tone 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON  325 

that  he  scarcely  caught  the  words,  "  I  seem  to 
have  learned  to  love  him  since  knowing  of  his 
love  to  me  and  that  he  had  almost,  if  not  quite, 
tliiown  away  his  own  life  to  save  mine.  But 
you  are  not  willing  that  he  should  tell  his  love? 
— not  willing  to  give  me  to  him,  however  much 
he  may  desire  it?" 

"  I  am  too  grateful  to  him  to  refuse  him  any- 
thing he  may  ask  for — even  to  the  daughter 
who  is  so  dear  to  me  that  I  can  scarcely  bear 
the  thought  of  resigning  her  to  another." 

"  Oh,  father,  how  could  I  ever  endure  to  be 
parted  from  you! "  she  cried,  clinging  more 
closely  to  him. 

"  Dear  child,"  he  said,  holding  her  close; 
"  we  will  make  it  a  condition  that  you  shall  not 
be  taken  away  to  any  distance.  And,  in  any 
event,  you  are  still  too  young  to  leave  your 
father;  you  must  remain  single  and  live  with 
me  for  at  least  a  year  or  two  longer." 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that! "  she 
said.  "Papa,  has  Chester  said  anything  to 
you?  "  she  asked. 

"Yes;  he  has  several  times  begged  permis- 
sion to  tell  you  of  his  love  and  try  to  win  yours. 


836  BLSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

I  have  hitherto  refused  because  of  jour  youth, 
but  shall  now  let  him  have  his  way/' 

•         •«»•• 

"You  are  improving  fast,  and  I  hope  will 
toon  he  able  to  be  up  and  about  again,"  the 
captain  said  to  Chester,  a  few  days  later. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  young  man,  "  I  begin  to  feel 
as  if  I  had  taken  a  new  lease  of  life  and— ah, 
captain,  if  I  could  at  last  find  such  favor  in 

your  eyes  that  you  would  consent  to "    His 

sentence  was  left  unfinished. 

"  To  letting  you  tell  your  tale  of  love?  n  Cap- 
tain Raymond  asked  with  a  smile. 

"Just  that,  sir.  I  cannot  help  fearing  it 
may  prove  useless,  but — anything  is  better  than 
suspense;  which  I  feel  that  I  have  hardly 
strength  to  endure  any  longer." 

"  Nor  can  I  any  longer  ask  that  of  you,  since 
you  have  freely  risked  your  life  for  hers,"  re- 
turned the  captain  with  emotion.  "Your 
nurse  being  out  just  now,  this  is  a  good  oppor- 
tunity, and  I  will  bring  my  daughter  to  you 
and  let  you  have  it  out,"  he  concluded  in  a  jest- 
ing tone,  and  left  the  room  as  he  spoke. 

Lucilla  happened  to  be  near  at  hand,  and 


•ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  39f 

almost  immediately  her  father  had  brought  her 
to  Chester's  bedside.  She  knew  nothing  of  the 
talk  that  had  been  going  on,  yet,  remembering 
her  conversation  with  her  father  a  few  days  be- 
fore, came  to  the  bedside  blushing  and  slightly 
embarrassed. 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  are  better,  Chester,"  she 
said,  laying  her  hand  in  his  as  he  held  it  out  to 
her.  "  What  a  hard,  hard  time  you  have  had, 
and  all  because  you  risked  your  life  to  save 
mine." 

"  I'm  not  sorry  I  did,  and  would  do  it  again 
without  a  moment's  hesitation,"  he  said.  "  Oh, 
Lu,  if  I  could  but  tell  you  how  dear  you  are  to 
me!  Can  you  not  give  me  a  little  love  in  re- 
torn?" 

"  Oh,  Chester,  how  could  I  help  it,  when  you 
have  almost  died  for  me?  "  she  asked,  bursting 
into  tears. 

"Don't  be  distressed  over  that,  dear  one," 
he  returned,  pressing  the  hand  he  still  held  in 
his,  then  lifting  it  to  his  lips.  "  Will  you  be 
mine?  "  he  asked  imploringly. 

"If  papa  consents,  and  you  will  never  take 
me  far  away  from  him." 


«28  ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

"  He  has  consented,  and  I  will  never  take  you 
anywhere  that  you  do  not  want  to  go.  We  will 
live  here  among  our  own  dear  ones  as  long  aa 
the  Lord  spares  us  to  each  other." 

As  he  finished  he  drew  her  down  to  him,  and 
their  lips  met. 

"We  belong  to  each  other  now,"  he  said, 
"  and  I  hope  both  of  us  will  always  rejoice  that 
it  is  so." 

"I  hope  you  will,  my  dear  children,"  said 
the  captain.  "And  now,  Chester,  get  well  as 
fast  as  you  can.  I  cannot  give  Lucilla  up  en* 
tirely  to  you  for. a  year  or  more  yet,  but  you 
can  visit  her  here  every  day  if  you  like." 

So  the  young  couple  were  engaged,  and  very 
happy  in  each  other,  Chester  making  rapid  im- 
provement in  health  from  the  hour  when  he 
was  assured  of  the  prosperity  of  his  suit. 

The  betrothal  was  soon  made  known  to  all 
the  connection,  and  seemed  to  give  satisfaction 
to  everyone.  Sydney  had  gone  South  before 
Chester's  encounter  with  the  escaped  convict, 
and  she  and  Maud  wrote  their  congratulations. 
Prank  was  pleased,  and  came  oftener  than  be- 
fore to  Woodburn.  Lucilla's  bosom  friend. 


ELSIE  ON  THE  HUDSON.  329 

Evelyn,  approved  of  the  match,  and  hoped  Lu 
would  be  a  happy  wife,  but  thought  she  herself 
would  prefer  to  live  single.  Grace  was  half- 
pleased,  half-sorry  because  she  did  not  seem 
quite  so  necessary  to  her  sister's  happiness  as 
before. 

Captain  Eaymond  did  not  at  all  enjoy  the 
thought  of  even  a  partial  giving  up  of  his 
daughter  to  the  care  of  another,  but  tried  to 
forget  that  the  time  was  coming  when  it  must 
be  done.  That  Max  was  expected  home  in  a 
few  weeks  made  that  difficult  task  somewhat 
easier.  All  were  looking  joyfully  forward  to 
that  happy  event. 


THE    END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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